BA 223: Marketing Research: Home

1. Find the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the business type / industry. 
   • NAICS is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
   • Watch this video about how to search for the NAICS code.
2. Use Business Insights: Global to get industry information.
   • Look for the dropdown menu on the right side of the search box and select Industry.
   • Type your NAICS code into the search box and click the Search button.
   • Click on and skim the most recent Industry Profile in the search results.
   • Explore the resources in the Industry Information box on the left.

• Business Source Premier

  • Search for your NAICS code and choose Market Research Reports under Source Type. Coverage varies greatly by industry and region.

• Use the Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition to get local information about your industry.

  • This interactive tool uses your target industry and zip code to generate a map and report based on available government data.

Call: 541-917-4645

Email: libref@linnbenton.edu
Text: (650) 667-6620

You are more likely to find information about public companies than private companies. Public companies are required to file 10Ks (a summary of a company's performance) with the federal government, and they publish annual reports for investors. Information about private companies is voluntarily self-reported and usually less detailed.

1. Do a Google search to find:
   • if the company is publicly traded and, if so, their stock symbol (ticker).
   • the company's website.
     • Company websites will likely provide information about a company's mission, goals, products, annual reports, etc.
2. Search for a SWOT analysis report.
   • In Business Insights: Global, look for the Companies dropdown menu on the top left and select SWOT Reports. Then search for your company in the Search Within Results box.
   • Watch this video to learn how to find a SWOT analysis report in Business Source Premier.

3. Find articles about your company and its competitors in America's News (NewsBank).

   • This may be your best bet for external analysis if you're working with a private company!

   • The following local papers are available full text for the time period indicated: The Oregonian, 1987 - present; Corvallis Gazette-Times,1999-present; Albany Democrat-Herald, 1999-present.

• Crunchbase is a platform for finding business information about private and public companies, including investments and funding information, founding members and individuals in leadership positions, mergers and acquisitions, news, and industry trends. Create an account for a two week trial of full access.
• EDGAR Company Filings to find 10Ks filed with the government for public companies.
• Regional Business News Plus includes full text coverage from several hundred U.S. and International newspapers as well as regional business publications.
• Business Insights: Global is often the easiest source to find Market Share reports for a company. Search by company name, ticker symbol, product or NAICS code and then look for the "Market Share Reports" on the sidebar.
• Business Source Premier is another good place to find reports and articles about a particular company.

• Access Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA) through the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library

As an LBCC student, you have access to Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's (CBCPL) electronic resources. To use these, you must first have a card from CBCPL. Sign up for a CBCPL e-card using your LBCC email.

An important business resource from Corvallis Public is Reference Solutions, which is one of the best sources for information on very small, local, private companies. To get here (once you have your library card), look under the Business & Finance section of CBCPL's E-resources and click the Reference Solutions link. Use the number on your CBCPL card to log in.

• Find Local Company Information through Reference Solutions

Once you're logged in, click on the search button for US Businesses. Enter a company name and a city to find the owner, contact information, SIC/NAICS industry codes, expenditures, sales, and more. 

Under Location Information, you can enter a number of miles in Radius Search, and then click on Find Similar to see nearby businesses in the same industry.
Learn more about the US Businesses database.

• Research Consumer Segments in Reference Solutions

When you're logged into Reference Solutions, go to U.S. Consumers/Lifestyles, and then go to Advanced Search. 
Use the facets on the side (I suggest starting with the city you're interested in) to limit to your target demographics. 
Click "View Results." This shows you all the people identified who meet the criteria of your search (it's not comprehensive). 
You can go to Summary and identify further facets (age, income, marital status, etc.) you want to compare within your segment. View matrix, chart, or table to analyze the data.
Learn more about the US Consumers/Lifestyles Database

A nonprofit organization's website may provide info like mission, goals, news, and services. Many nonprofits are required to file an IRS Form 990, which provides information about the organization's budget and governance structure. The sources below provide IRS Form 990 and other information on nonprofits:

• Guidestar. You must sign up for a free account, but then you get access to basic info about charities and their 990 forms.
• Charity Navigator. The largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities in the United States.
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Use this database to view summaries of tax returns from tax-exempt organizations, financial details such as their executive compensation, and revenue and expenses. You can browse IRS data released since 2013 and access more than 14 million tax filing documents going back as far as 2001.
• IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Find 990s directly from the IRS.

1. Use Census Data to learn more about the people who live where your business is located.
   • Start at the Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition.
     1. In the first box, search for the NAICS code.
     2. In the second box, search for the city.
     3. Click on Create Report.
   • If you are looking for even more detailed demographic information, the US Census is the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. Watch this video to learn how to navigate the Census website.
2. Learn more about Americans' buying habits from the the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey.
   • Click on Annual Reports and look for the most recent year.
3. Search for the latest social media fact sheet from the Pew Research Center for a helpful report about social media usage patterns.

   • Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research.

• The American Time Use Survey measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing.
  • Click on ATUS Tables and look for the most recent reports on the most pertinent demographic category.
• Consumer Insights from Google Trends
  • Google shares select insights and reports based on its vast data on consumer behavior.
• Datasource Links from PSU's Population Research Center
  • Even more places to find government data, from Portland State University's Population Research Center.

If you're unfamiliar with a marketing term or concept, you might find this Marketing Dictionary from Monash University helpful, or review content in an OER like Principles of Marketing. If you get stuck, reach out to a librarian or an instructor! Sometimes certain information doesn't exist or costs a lot of money--librarians can help you figure out what's available to you as a student.