When doing company research there are many sources to use. Depending on the company - its size, industry, location, or whether it’s a public or private company - you may be able to find information easily or it may be hard to obtain. While you may find some information available on the Internet, it may not be reliable, and you may not find what you are looking for if you rely solely on free Internet sources. Try these library and Internet resources to begin your company research.
Library Resources
Business Insights: Global* - Provides company, industry, and investment reports as well as hundreds of business periodical articles, market share data, and company histories. Formerly called Business & Company Resource Center.
DemographicsNow: Business and People* - Gives information for individual companies or has the ability to create a mailing list of multiple companies from over 17 million active businesses. Also has the capability to limit a search for minority-owned companies including women and veterans.
Reference Solutions* - is a nationwide business directory of companies of all sizes. The information listed for each company includes contact information, executive names, business demographics, and more.
Free Online Resources
Dun & Bradstreet Hoovers contains both free and fee-based content. It covers both public and private companies.
FundingUniverse is a compilation of company histories.
Securities and Exchange Commission contains basic information that the government requires public companies to release. It includes the EDGAR database where you can find company filings for the last several years.
Local Companies
Better Business Bureau - Empowers people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust and have been doing so for over 110 years.
Republic business licenses & developers - View open bidding opportunities with the City of Republic, find out how to obtain a business license in the City of Republic, search for available commercial real estate with an online property finder, and find resources for developers such as zoning information, application information, and construction specifications.
Republic major employers - The City of Republic is home to several businesses and organizations which employ thousands of local citizens. This number is excepted to grow substantially in the coming years as more companies move into the city- attracted by a ready workforce, quick access to transportation, and a low cost of doing business. The largest employment sectors include education, industrial/distribution, and retail.
Secretary of State’s Business Entity database - Search for a business in Missouri.
Springfield business license database - The information includes only licenses for permanent businesses and includes only those that have been issued licenses or for which applications are received but not yet issued.
Springfield-area major employers - The Springfield region encapsulates businesses of all sizes and scopes. While this market is positioned well for the small, local business to thrive, larger businesses and corporations have benefited from the abundant resources and local talent this region has to offer. Corporate headquarters, large healthcare facilities, universities, and Fortune 500 companies, to name a few, have all experienced growth in this area.
Special Focus
Some company information sources have a specific, relatively narrow focus.
ThomasNet, the latest incarnation of the Thomas Register, lets you search by product to help you figure out what companies make specific products.
Registered Identification Number Database from the Federal Trade Commission identifies manufacturers, importers, and distributors of textile products.
International Companies
World Industrial Reporter includes industrial product and company information from around the world.
Kompass is a business-to-business company directory that includes companies in dozens of countries (requires free registration for the best functionality).
Worldwide Directory of Public Companies can be used to verify the existence and exact name of a domestic or foreign publicly traded company; it also sorts by industry.
Numberway provides a comprehensive list of foreign online phone directories.
Having trouble finding information on a company?
Make sure you have the exact name and the exact spelling.
Don’t forget to try the company’s website.
Keep in mind that what you have maybe a brand name or trademark, and not the name of the company.
Consider the possibility that the company may be out of business, has changed its name, or has been merged into or bought out by another company.
Be sure to contact us at the Library if you have trouble finding the desired information.
*Library card required for use outside the Library