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What's on this Page
This page is a repository of databases, websites, books, and other resources that provide data for Business, Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship and related research.
You can use this page to:
- Get general and demographic information.
- Find company information, including financials, SWOT analyses, and company histories.
- Find data about particular industries.
- Find data about specific countries.
- Find information to help with legal research.
A Note about Tags
There are a lot of business databases and other resources that contain various kinds of overlapping data.
We've put tags on many of them which indicate what type of information can be found there. For example:
- Company Histories
- Market Share
- Balance of Trade
Use them to help find exactly what you're looking for.
Still can't find what you want?
If you've checked the resources on this page and still need more, you can find even more data sources in the Demographics and Statistics page of our Economics research guide.
How the Government Tracks Business Data
Economic Census
- Every 5 years (on the 2s and the 7s).
Other Business/Economic Surveys
- County Business Patterns
- Annual Survey of Manufacturers
- U.S. International Trade Statistics
SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)
- Begun in 1938, adopted in 1957, revised in 1987.
NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)
- Adopted in 1987, revised in 2002, 2007, and 2012.
Tools for Using and Understanding Data
Demographics: a Guide to Methods and Data Sources for Media, Business, and GovernmentCall Number: Reference HB849.4 .D447 2006A nice little guide to making sense of the demographic data that you'll find in other books and websites on this page. It starts with a basic overview of demographics, then examines methods and models, and explains how the data can be interpreted, used, and misused.
General Sources
These sources provide information useful to all areas of business research.
- Statistical Abstract of the United StatesIrreplaceable data on virtually any financial subject. Energy imports by type of fuel, broken down by year from 1980 to 2005? Stock prices from 2000 to 2006? It's all here, brought to you by the U.S. government.
Handbook of U. S. Labor Statistics 2015 by Call Number: Reference HD 8051 .A63 2015
- Sage Data This link opens in a new windowDemographics Sales Data Combine and compare statistical data from a variety of sources. The Ready Reference site is a good place to start.
Company Data
General Company Information
- Business Insights This link opens in a new windowCompany Profiles Company Histories Financials SWOT Analyses Business Insights: Global (BIG) features case studies, global industry research reports, company histories, SWOT and market share reports, corporate chronologies, and business rankings in hundreds of thousands of company profile pages, as well as profiles for all U.N. recognized countries and hundreds of industry profile pages; lets users easily compare global economies, companies and industries.
- Business Source Premier This link opens in a new windowSWOT Analyses Business Source Premier contains 2,150 journals back to 1986. Many journals are full text, as are market, country, and industry reports. It also contains SWOT analysis.
- IBIS World This link opens in a new windowMarket Share Industry market research reports provide in-depth industry analysis for several hundred U.S. industries. Searchable by keyword, company name, and NAICS or SIC codes. Reports average 25-30 pages, are updated regularly, and contain key statistics, market characteristics, segmentation, industry conditions, industry performance, key competitors, key factors, and industry outlook.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowFinancials Company Profiles Mergent Online is the source for data for over 23,000 U.S. and international businesses. It is a very useful source for marketing information and doing company and industry comparisons. The data available includes historical stock prices, S.E.C. filings, ratios, prospects, etc. All data can be downloaded.
International Directory of Company Histories by Call Number: View EbookSome 1,250 of the world's most influential companies are described here. First major reference to bring together histories of companies that are a leading influence in a particular industry or geographic area. Detailed three-to-five page entries. Information on founders, expansions/ losses, labor/management actions, NAICS codes, key dates, ticker symbol, principal subsidiaries, divisions, operating units, competitors and other significant milestones.
Industry Data
Use the resources listed here to:
- Find market share, SWOT analyses, industry trends, and similar information.
- Find industry ratio resources.
- Look up SIC and NAICS codes.
General Industry Information
- Business Insights This link opens in a new windowMarket Share SWOT Analyses Business Insights: Global (BIG) features case studies, global industry research reports, company histories, SWOT and market share reports, corporate chronologies, and business rankings in hundreds of thousands of company profile pages, as well as profiles for all U.N. recognized countries and hundreds of industry profile pages; lets users easily compare global economies, companies and industries.
- Business Source Premier This link opens in a new windowSWOT Analyses Business Source Premier contains 2,150 journals back to 1986. Many journals are full text, as are market, country, and industry reports. It also contains SWOT analysis.
- IBIS World This link opens in a new windowIndustry Trends Industry market research reports provide in-depth industry analysis for several hundred U.S. industries. Searchable by keyword, company name, and NAICS or SIC codes. Reports average 25-30 pages, are updated regularly, and contain key statistics, market characteristics, segmentation, industry conditions, industry performance, key competitors, key factors, and industry outlook.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowIndustry Profiles Mergent Online is the source for data for over 23,000 U.S. and international businesses. It is a very useful source for marketing information and doing company and industry comparisons. The data available includes historical stock prices, S.E.C. filings, ratios, prospects, etc. All data can be downloaded.
- ProQuest One Business This link opens in a new windowIndustry Publications ABI/INFORM is the best database for business research if you are looking for articles rather than data. It covers the best national and international business sources including newspapers.
Occupational Outlook Handbook 2014-2015 by Call Number: Reference HD8051 .A62 2014-2015 Use it Online!
Business Statistics of the United States 2014 by Call Number: Reference HC101 .A13122 2014
Industry Ratios
Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios by
Call Number: Reference HF5681.R25 I525Organized by SIC number. Use it to find out, for example, the average assets of a typical brewery (SIC 2082) in a given year. Augsburg has this annual publication going back to the 1980s.
Business Ratios and Formulas : A Comprehensive Guide by Call Number: Reference HF5691 .B73 2002Assets, operating performance, cash flow, capital structure, and investment measurements are just a few items on this comprehensive book's spreadsheet.
RMA Annual Statement StudiesCall Number: Reference HF5681.B2 R63Also called Financial Ratio Benchmarks, this once-a-year publication from Risk Management Associates provides information drawn from 244,000 company financial statements, divided into 19 ratios and organized by NAICS number.
Almanac of Business and Industrial Financial Ratios (2015) by Call Number: HF5681.R25 T68 2015
SIC and NAICS Code Lookup
- U.S. Census BureauThe main site for the Census. There's a lot of data here, but you can access most of their population and economic data through the American FactFinder site. Also check out the Economic Census, a detailed study of the U.S. national and local economies published every five years. 2007, 2002, and 1997 are available.
Country Information
- Business Insights This link opens in a new windowGDP GNP Import/Export Business Insights: Global (BIG) features case studies, global industry research reports, company histories, SWOT and market share reports, corporate chronologies, and business rankings in hundreds of thousands of company profile pages, as well as profiles for all U.N. recognized countries and hundreds of industry profile pages; lets users easily compare global economies, companies and industries.
- Business Source Premier This link opens in a new windowCountry Profiles Business Source Premier contains 2,150 journals back to 1986. Many journals are full text, as are market, country, and industry reports. It also contains SWOT analysis.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowCountry Profiles Mergent Online is the source for data for over 23,000 U.S. and international businesses. It is a very useful source for marketing information and doing company and industry comparisons. The data available includes historical stock prices, S.E.C. filings, ratios, prospects, etc. All data can be downloaded.
- Doing Business in ... byCall Number: View OnlineCountry Profiles Cost of Business Created by the World Bank, this site has tons of information on international business. Topics include "Paying Taxes", "Employing Workers", and "Enforcing Contracts". Drill down for information on particular countries, and find detailed national and regional profiles in the Downloads section. Provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement. The Doing Business indicators are comparable across 145 economies. They indicate the regulatory costs of business and can be used to analyze specific regulations that enhance or constrain investment, productivity and growth." Links to the annual report: Doing business in [year]. There's even a library of business laws.
Nations of the World: A Political, Economic & Business HandbookCall Number: Reference HC10 .N36 2011Country ProfilesChock-full of detailed information about the world's nations (Ghana gets 10 full pages, for example). Topics discussed include economic growth, exports, key indicators, risk assessments, and industrial sectors. You'll also find country information such as entry requirements, dress codes, etc., as well as banking, travel, and government contact information.
The Europa World Year BookCall Number: Reference JN1 .E85 2008 v. 1–2Country ProfilesPublished (2 volumes a year) since 1926, this provides current information on 1,900 international organizations and all the world's countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
Legal Information
Use these resources to help with Business Law and other legal research questions.
For more help with legal research, including a more detailed breakdown of what LexisNexis has to offer, see the Legal Page of our Government, Policy, Legal, and Elections Research Guide.
- FindLawA free, award-winning legal reference site that contains overviews of legal issues, a lawyer directory, legal forms, news, and more.
- Doing Business in ... byCall Number: View OnlineRegulations Cost of BusinessCreated by the World Bank, this site has tons of information on international business. Topics include "Paying Taxes", "Employing Workers", and "Enforcing Contracts". Drill down for information on particular countries, and find detailed national and regional profiles in the Downloads section. Provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement. The Doing Business indicators are comparable across 145 economies. They indicate the regulatory costs of business and can be used to analyze specific regulations that enhance or constrain investment, productivity and growth." Links to the annual report: Doing business in [year]. There's even a library of business laws.