Be sure to research the official name of the company. Many companies have popular names that may not be listed anywhere. For example, 3M is really Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing.
If the company is a personal name or includes initials, e.g. Walt Disney or H. J. Heinz, look under each part of the name. Various sources are not consistent in how names are treated.
If the company name is a common word such as Apple or Amazon and you tend to retrieve articles about rivers (Amazon) or fruit (Apple), try adding in Inc. or Corp. after the name.
Companies sometimes change their names, so be sure to look under multiple possible company names. For example, cigarette maker Phillip Morris changed its name to Altria.
If you are researching a subsidiary, expand your research to include the parent corporation. For example, Google is under its parent company Alphabet.
Very small or very new companies may not appear in the standard sources, particularly print sources. Look for news articles and a company website. Use regional or specialized industry directories that may be available.
Make sure the source you are searching includes private or international companies. Some sources only have publicly traded companies, so smaller and private companies will not be included.
Financial ratios and industry averages are useful for comparing a company with its industry for benchmarking purposes.
Make sure to check the company website. Look at the Investor Relations tab for presentations to market analysts. These types of presentations may discuss products or subsidiaries.
Trade journals, magazines, and newspapers are excellent sources for the latest business news and trends, and can sometimes be the only source for private company information.
Rankings & Ratings – locating information about a company’s market standing, performance or reputation will help determine if it is a leader or innovator.
Social Media sites are sources of informal and supplementary company information.
Explore visuals for company information that is not printed. These can be interviews with company executives and staff, product demos, tours, etc.
Intellectual Property – Patents are part of the legal area called intellectual property that also includes trademarks, trade secrets, and copyright. Patents provide insight into a company’s culture, business opportunities, research and development direction and market expansion plans.
Legal case information may provide information about a company’s internal operations and stakeholders. Major case litigation is disclosed in company U.S. SEC 10K reports and the press.
Resources related to business ethics and to other topics such as corporate governance, sustainability “green” shopping, etc. can be found in the Sustainable Businesses section.
