2.1 What are the company’s primary NAICS/SIC codes? 2.2 Summarize the principal product or service. 2.3 Provide percentages in terms of various activities.
It is important to inventory the full range of products and services of the target firm. Your target company could be involved in much more than we may initially believe, especially with the trend towards constant mergers and acquisitions. To fully understand the nature of their operations it is important to ascertain their current areas of activity and which area is generating the most income for the firm.
Businesses must register with the Secretary of State office in the state they are located. Search Systems provides a meta search for all states in the U.S. and provinces in Canada. The best way to proceed is to choose “Corporations and Companies” and then select the state or province where the firm is headquartered. This will bring you to one or more corporate directories. This may vary by state or province. You can also search by state or province alone and explore all the possible information that is collected.
The business world uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) that assigns a NAICS code to specific products and services. The U.S. Census Bureau provides a NAICS lookup. The NAICS system has largely replaced the older Standard Industrial Code (SIC).
Open Corporates provides access to public records on privately held firms worldwide.
You should also consult the company web site. Information on registered brand names is available at the Thomas Register.
The Dunn and Bradstreet Report on your firm may contain additional information. You will need to purchase it from D&B.
Paid Resources (Subscription Required)
Business Source Complete provides general information on privately held firms, and depending on size, also provides a Medtrack or Market Line report.
