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Business Research

Research guide for students at the University of Northern Colorado Monfort College of Business.
Company Research Guide
Always check your company's website. Public companies will often have pages for "Investor Relations" where they post reports and other pertinent information. Websites of private and subsidiary companies may also offer key information. Keep in mind that information other than regulated reports is written by the company and may contain bias.

Key Resources

Business Source Premier Database
Choose "Company Profiles" on the home screen.

Statista Database
Search by company name or use filters on the left.

PrivCo Database
Focuses on private company financials and directory info.

Westlaw Campus Research Database
Select the link for "Company Investigator" under the search box.

SWOT Analyses

SWOT-Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

Business Source Premier

  1. Enter your company's name in the box and click "Search"
  2. In the menu on the left, click "Source Types"

If no SWOT analysis is available for your company, look at a competitor or an industry analysis.

Private Company Tips

More limited information will be available on private companies, or even subsidiaries of public companies. Try these tips:

  • Search in databases such as PrivCo and Westlaw Campus Research.
  • Databases with news and articles, such as Business Source Premier and ABI/Inform, will be helpful with piecing together information and may include estimated financial figures. Search both national news sources and the company's local news sources (see below).
  • Analyze/extrapolate facts or figures from similar companies or the industry as a whole.
  • Remember: Even in resources like PrivCo numbers are often estimates, so compare multiple sources to get a more accurate picture.
  • Always check your company's website!

Smaller or Local Businesses

Local news can be an excellent source of information on small private companies and local business trends. Below are example resources for our area. For other areas, search for newspapers and government websites for the city and state where your company is based.