► For more detail and additional data sources visit the general business research guide. |
Tips for report sections:
Competitiveness:
Leadership:
Strategy:
Customer and market focus:
Employee engagement:
Start with the website of the company you are researching. A public company listed on the stock exchange will have a lot of investor information including:
financials & filings -- especially the company's annual report
board & executives
strategy & reporting presentations
news/press releases + social media/blogs
stock information
analyst coverage
initiatives such as sustainability, EDI, employee engagement etc.
► See Shopify's Investors page for sample
It can be much harder to find information about a smaller, private, or international company.
News is sometimes our only source of external information about a small or private company. News or interviews with CEOs can provide really current and up to date information about a company’s performance, products, problems, actions, and strategy.
► Search with the company name, leaders' names, and specific keywords (leadership, strategy, diversity, inclusion, etc.) Try searching in:
Publications that report/provide opinion on business or industry topics (Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, etc.)
News databases (depends on your country/region) & Google News
A general internet search to capture interviews with individuals via podcasts, video, or social media - evaluate & be critical!
Useful for all sections of your report, but particularly leadership section.
Several library databases provides access to company profiles.
Looking at relevant industry reports will help you identify competition and how your company is performing in the industry compared to others, it will also help you with some aspects of the 5 forces analysis (suppliers, possible new entrants etc.)
Useful for competitiveness section of your report.
With any resource, be sure to approach it with a critical eye and consider its authority, purpose, content, and currency.
Authority:
Purpose:
Content:
Currency: