Where are the best places to look for industry analysis/reports for
small businesses (free online industry analysis and those with a cost)?

Thanks!

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Clarification of Question by kmo-ga on 31 Mar 2004 06:18 PST

So in other words, I am looking for a place to buy and/or view
industry analysis on various industries.

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Clarification of Question by kmo-ga on 31 Mar 2004 06:19 PST

Best places. I would like a few locations, free and with a cost.

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Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 31 Mar 2004 06:20 PST

Hi!

The "best places" term is pretty subjective and will be hard to
determine. Would a list of websites having analysis and reports on
small business be enough as an answer?

Thanks!

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Clarification of Question by kmo-ga on 31 Mar 2004 10:16 PST

Yes, a list of websites is what I am looking for.... analysis and
reporting of various industries is what I am looking for...The goal is
to help all types of small business owners make business decisions. A
list with free industry analysis (like zapdata.com) and places where I
can purchase full "canned" industry analysis is exactly what I need.

Your right, replace "best places" with "commonly used" places...

KMO --

I'm going to provide a list of FREE resources first; then some
suggestions for databases that may be available via your local
library; then finally some suggestions for sources from broad-based
research companies.  In this, the emphasis is on small business.


FREE RESOURCES
================

You can't beat the depth and range of U.S. Small Business
Administration publications, almost all of which are available on the
web:
SBA
"Publications" (undated)
http://www.sba.gov/library/pubs.html#mt-2

Commerce Clearing House is a business and law publisher with a
wide-ranging website having everything from tax advice to case studies
on different businesses:
CCH Business Owners' Toolkit
http://www.toolkit.cch.com/

BizStats is a site run by an accountant, who takes a variety of
government and industry reports to generate benchmark numbers and
financial ratios for a variety of industries.  Though the source of
the data may not always be clear, this is one of the easiest sites to
use on the web:
BizStats
http://www.bizstats.com/

For authoritative business numbers, consider the U.S. Economic Census,
which is done every 5 years (and takes more than 2 years to analyze). 
Great detail: a lot less analysis.  The 1997 Economic Census numbers
are here:
U.S. Cenus
1997 Economic Census
http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/econ97.html

The 2002 Census just had its first top-level numbers released on Monday:
U.S. Census Bureau
"2002 Economic Census: Advance Summary Statistics of the U.S."
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/advance/TABLE1.HTM

"2002 Advanced Comparative Statistics with 1997"
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/advance/TABLE2.HTM

"Schedule for Reports from the 2002 Economic Census"
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/g02sched.htm


There are also at least two magazines with excellent online resources
for small business:
Inc. Magazine
http://www.inc.com/home/

and Business 2.0, which is actually owned by the same people who bring
you Fortune Magazine:
Business 2.0
http://www.business2.com/b2/

Finally, I must recommend Google Answers itself as a source for
information on "small business" because there are dozens of answers
about specific small business issues.  Go to the Google Answers home
page and put the two words, "small business" in quotes for your
search:
http://answers.google.com/answers/



OTHER RESOURCES
=================

Many of these resources are available via proprietary databases -- or
in a few cases books.  But all will be available from a good library
or a business school library.

Dun & Bradstreet publishes an edition each year of a business profile
which has key financial ratios: D&B's "Business Rankings 2002."
Most libraries would have it in the reference section, catalog #338.74022.

Thomson-Gale is a major publisher which provides a variety of its
databases in an on-line form.  Many public libraries subscribe to the
Thomson-Gale databases.  The databases are summarized on this
Thomson-Gale page below.  Among the databases that I use commonly are
Investext (with Wall Street analysts' reports about companies and
industries); the Business & Company Resource Center; and Infotrac
because of its ability to provide academic articles about business
research:
Thomson-Gale
http://www.galegroup.com/press_room/logo_library/gale_logos.htm

Similarly, many libraries have the Ebsco Business service, which has
online versions of 75 business journals, 23 national and international
newspapers, and a slew (more than 1,000) business periodicals.  Here's
one library's description of the service:
Institute of Financial Services
http://library.ifslearning.com/ebsco.htm

Hoover's Online is a research service that's partially free -- and
portions of it have a fee attached.  Hoover's Online is a great spot
to check for companies and will quickly indicate if they're public or
private, but they also have industry reports as well:
Hoover's Online
http://www.hoovers.com/free/



FEE-BASED RESOURCES
=====================

BizMiner
http://www.bizminer.com/

Dun & Bradstreet has a wide variety of services, not just zapdata.com.
 Note that they have a special category for small business:
http://www.dnb.com/us/

And, of course, we can't forget the grey old lady of business, the
Wall Street Journal's online site:
http://online.wsj.com/home/us

Google search strategy:
"small business resources"
"economic census"


If any aspect of this answer is unclear, please let us know with a
Clarification Request before rating this answer.

Best regards,

Ominvorous-GA

Definately impressed. Thank you.