Company Profiles
Sample exercise: Gather basic information about a selected company.
Getting Started
Before starting, it is helpful to determine whether the company you choose to research is a publicly or privately held company. The form of ownership can affect the availability of information about a company. It is generally much easier to find information about a publicly held company. Public companies are required to report certain financial information to their shareholders (annual reports) and to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
What is a company profile?
A company profile is designed to provide a summary of important information about a company. This information will help a student develop an understanding of the company they have chosen to research.
What are the elements of a company profile?
Just as in a good newspaper article, a company profile addresses the who, what, when, and where questions about a company. A company profile may include an overview outlining the company’s competitive strategy, its reputation, and its ownership structure. It may also include a list of the company’s key competitors and provide financial information.
Why are company profiles useful?
Company profiles have many uses. Anyone who is interested in entering into any business relationship should have knowledge of the basic corporate information about a company. Business relationships range from commercial, such as buying from, selling to, investing in, lending to, or competing with a company, to the personal, such as being employed by a company.
Company profile assignments can help students focus on prospective employers. This will help a student to write more effective cover letters and resumes. It will also enable students to better communicate their relevant skills during
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Resources for Company Profiles
There are many sources of information, both online and in print, available to help create a comprehensive company profile. Consult a variety of resources to develop a balanced picture of the company that you are researching. Always keep in mind the source of the information; this can help you maintain your objectivity. Information from a company Web site will usually portray the company in a more favorable light than information from an outside source.
PRINT RESOURCES
Hoover’s Handbooks are among the best known resources for information for company profiles. These resources are updated each year. Check your local public or academic libraries for the useful titles listed below:
Hoover’s Handbook of American Business. Austin, Texas: Hoover’s Business Press, 2000-.
Hoover’s Handbook of Private Companies. Austin, Texas: Hoover’s Business Press, 2000-.
Hoover’s Handbook of World Business. Austin, Texas: Hoover’s Business Press, 2000-.
Hoover’s Handbook of Emerging Companies. Austin, Texas: Hoover’s Business Press, 2000-.
In addition to the Hoover's publications, check also for publications by Ward's or Standard & Poor's. Browse the Business Reference section of local libraries for other business directories that may be available.
Business Magazines
Business magazines and journals are an excellent source of company information and many of them are available through the Virtual Library. They represent a source of good current information about a company. In addition to general business periodicals such as Business Week, Forbes, or Fortune, some industries have publications specific to their interest, for example Computer Reseller News, Design Engineering, or Journal of Marketing. Many business magazines put together feature articles and lists that provide detailed information about companies or industries. For example, the Forbes lists.
ONLINE RESOURCES THROUGH THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY
Resources for Company Profiles
There are many other useful business-related Web sites. Company information may be found at company homepages, stock-reporting and investment analysis sites (for publicly held companies), directories, or business reference sites.
To begin the search, click on the link below:
This site provides overviews of companies, both public and private. Information for many international companies is included.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the U.S. government provides access to EDGAR, the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, that provides information submitted by companies and others who are required by law to file forms with the commission. While this database is primarily of interest to investors, many companies use these submissions to provide insight into management philosophies and marketing strategies.
Hoover's Online provides useful summary information for over 50,000 public and private companies.
This site is a listing of over 2,200 online annual reports.