Industries

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.