Free Online Company Information Sources
- EDGAR
All public companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, annual and quarterly reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) through EDGAR. - Explore the company's websiteA public company's website will provide SEC filings and other investor information. Private companies may share some information too. This will only what they've decided to make available and/or highlight.
- Funding Universe Company HistoriesThousands of companies, alphabetical search, statistics, key dates, articles.
- Hoovers (some free content--covers public and private companies)Premium content available to subscribers, but Hoover's offers a lot of basic company information on thousands of public and private companies in its free version.
- Social Media (twitter & youtube)Social media can be a great tool for finding insights into consumers and news about a company. Search twitter to see a company's feed (if they have one) and to see what is being tweeted about them. YouTube might point you to CEO interviews, tours of a factory floor and more.
- USPTO (free)Patents are a great way of getting a different viewpoint on a company. Use the Quick Search of the USPTO Patent Application Full-Text and Image Database (AppFT) to look up patents by Applicants or Assignees (you may want to search within the "applicant name" field for your company's name).
Using the Library Research Databases for Company Research
Using the Library for Company Research
- Business Insights: Essentials (Gale) This link opens in a new windowDetailed information on over 400K U.S. and international companies
Click on "Search Now" under Company Information. Enter company name in search box. - Business Source Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowTo find Company Profiles, click on MORE on the top navigation bar, then select "Company Profiles." Search for your company report by using the search box, or looking at the alphabetical list.
Articles, industry & company reports, SWOT analyses, case studies, market research reports and more - Newspaper Source Plus (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowIf you'd like to search national and regional newspaper outlets for reporting on a particular company.
ReferenceUSA via Madison Public Library
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Available through the South Central Library System - must have a public library card number.
- Powerful business and consumer research database, offering business and residential listings useful in searching for people, executives, creating marketing plans, conducting competitive analysis, fundraising and sales.
- Search by phone number, address, person and much more
- Wisconsin Newspapers from BadgerLinkFull-text daily and weekly Wisconsin newspapers from 2005 to 90 days ago, plus newspapers from the 1800s and 1900s. For student and adult researchers.
*Small Business Company Information
Small businesses are rarely publicly held (i.e., they do not issue shares and sell them to members of the public, nor are shares traded on stock exchanges). As a result, they have no fiduciary duty to the general public, and are not required to file financial disclosure forms with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other federal or state agencies. This makes it very difficult to find operating or financial information about specific small businesses in any place other than local newspapers or pay-to-use licensed resources (like ReferenceUSA). Basic information (contact information, locations, etc.) can be found on the freely accessible web.
Organizational Charts
- The Official BoardThe Official Board offers organizational charts for "the world's 20,000 largest corporations."
- Google.comTry searching org chart and [company name]. This info is generally considered proprietary (secret).
- CogMapHelp to make your own org chart with info you provide.