Researching supplier, partner and competitor companies can help you measure success of an industry nationally or locally and track growth trends. Company information can include number of employees, annual revenue, company products and services, and financial statements.

Search Tips:

• Use industry reports, broker reports and news stories to identify major players.
• Explain the current alternatives on the market, and be sure to describe what your advantages are. You might consider using a competitor matrix to help illustrate this.
• Be sure to understand the difference between direct and indirect competitors.
• Identify applicable NAICS industry classifications to help build lists of companies
• Understand the difference between private and public companies and the amount of information that is publicly available.
• Read company annual reports and financial filings such as the 10K, 10Q and 8K for information about company inner operations, supply chains and risk management.