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Industries

Get started with Industries resources.

Industry Resources: Get Started

Overview

  • Industry reports deliver competitive intelligence.
    • They give 20-250-page overviews with key trends and statistics, market forces, top companies, and more. 
  • Industry classifications are useful.
    • Industries are grouped by NAICS codes (North American Industry Classification System), slowly replacing SIC codes (Standard Industry Classification). Search or browse by NAICS or SIC code to obtain a list of companies in an industry. Companies that operate in multiple industries may have multiple codes, including a primary one.
    Industry ratios are important.
    • Ratios allow you to benchmark company financial data within an industry; the ratio averages are specific to each industry.

Pro Tips

  • Can't locate a report or information for a specialty industry?
    • Thank about a broader industry.
    • Consider related or substitute industries.
    • Experiment with different keyword searches.
  • Search for industry and trade association websites, for example, the Brewers Association or the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
    • Industry and trade associations might publish a newsletter, reports, or a blog that can be searched in an article database like ABI/Inform Trade and Industry.
  • Government information resources can offer industry insights, for example, County Business Patterns.