Market Research Guide

Businesses

• International Directory of Company History series [Book]

This series offers a thorough overview of a company.

• Mergent Intellect [Database]

Information on over 310 million businesses globally (including 70 million U.S. businesses), primarily focusing on privately-owned companies.

• Mergent Online [Database]

Company profiles for over 10,000 U.S. public companies and 15,000 non-U.S. companies, including company history, executives, subsidiaries, financial data, and annual reports from SEC-EDGAR filings.

• PrivCo [Database]

Detailed data on U.S.-based, non-publicly traded corporations, including family-owned, private equity-owned, and venture-backed companies.

• U.S. Businesses in Data Axle Reference Solutions [Database]

Data on 57 million U.S. businesses that are currently active.

Consumers

• American Consumer Trends series (New Strategies Press) [eBook]

This online book series includes titles such as:

• Household Spending: Who Spends How Much on What
• The American Marketplace: Demographics and Spending Patterns
• Who's Buying Series (Apparel, Groceries, Entertainment, Health Care, and much more)
• The Millennials: Americans Born 1977 to 1994
• Racial and Ethnic Diversity
• American Men and Women: Who They Are and How They Live

• Consumer Data & Demographics in Mergent Intellect [Database]

The Consumer Data section contains data on individual's lifestyles, hobbies, and purchasing habits.  The Demographics section covers demographic data on the selected area's population (age, race, gender, income, etc.) based on the latest census data. 

• PolicyMap [Database]

Online mapping tool with data on demographics, income and spending, housing, lending, quality of life, economy, education, and health in communities across the U.S.

• Statistical Abstract of the United States series
  • From 1878 to 2012 [Government website]
  • From 2013 to current [Book]

Formerly published by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Statistical Abstract of the United States offers a comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organizations of the U.S.

• U.S. Consumers / Lifestyles in Data Axle Reference Solutions [Database]

ReferenceUSA offers data on lifestyles and purchasing behaviors of 314 million individuals in the U.S.

• Business Analyst Online (ESRI) [Database]

Combining demographic, consumer spending, and business data, Business Analyst Online provides insight on consumers' lifestyle and purchasing behaviors.

NOTE: Under the license agreement, ESRI resources may be used for educational, teaching, and research purposes only, and it requires a unique access code. Please contact Hiromi Kubo (hkubo@csufresno.edu) for further information.

• Business Biographies in Reference for Business [Website]

A great source of background information on major companies' CEOs and other executives.

• EDGAR Company Filings from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission [Website]

The repository for all corporate filings submitted to the U.S. SEC. Filings contain companies' basic information, financial data, executives, risk factors, trends, and more.

• Thomas for Industry [Website]

AKA "the Green Book," Thomas is a great source for information on industrial distributors, manufacturers, and related services.