Research Guides: Entrepreneurship: Company and Industry Research

Business and Industry Databases

Business Insights: Essentials This link opens in a new window
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Business Source Elite This link opens in a new window
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Wall Street Journal Online (1984-present) This link opens in a new window

Industry Codes

Find the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) and SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes that apply to your industry.

2017 NAICS Codes - (Browse All)
Or try these categories to find the 5- or 6-digit NAICS codes for many arts, retail, and entertainment businesses:
- 44-45 Retail Trade
- 51 Information (includes Motion Picture, Sound Recording, and Broadcasting industries)
- 54 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (includes Interior Design, Graphic Design, Management Consulting, Advertising, and Public Relations industries)
- 71 Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
SIC
Although replaced by NAICS, many business resources still organize industries by the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), and this system is used in older economic censuses. A specific SIC is a four-digit code used to group similar types of businesses together.

Business Insights: Essentials This link opens in a new window
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Search for a company in your industry and use the NAICS and SIC codes listed in the Company Profile.

Business Plans

Local Area Information

Research your competition in the place where you plan to start your business. Search for industry information in a local newspaper.

Chicago Tribune (1989-present) This link opens in a new window
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Starting your business in Chicago? See what the Tribune has reported about your industry in the city and region.
Crain's Chicago Business This link opens in a new window
A weekly business newspaper in Chicago that covers healthcare, real estate, manufacturing, government, sports, and more.
SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new window
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A mapping and data visualization application that lets users create interactive maps, charts, and reports. It includes demographics (e.g., age, race, income, employment), consumer spending, and detailed business profiles. Users also have access to Claritas PRIZM consumer lifestyle data.

To save your work in SimplyAnalytics, create an account. You may use as a guest but none of your project work will be saved. Limited to 10 simultaneous users.

Find Professional Organizations for your Industry

Industry and professional organizations collect data and statistics that may help with your business plan.

Find organization websites:

In your favorite search engine (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo) search the name of your industry plus the word "association" OR
Search Encyclopedia of Associations by the name of your industry

Industry Data

Economic Census of the United States
Economic data about U.S. industries is collected every five years and released over time. Find data by NAICS code or U.S. state for number of businesses in an industry, revenues, number of paid employees, and more.

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