1

Researching a Company or Organisation

A presentation for the moduleInforming and Communicating in Practice at the University of the West of England

2

Types of Company Information

• Basic Information

• Financial Information

• Performance Information

• Market Information

• IT/IS Information

• News/Background Info.

Address, number of employees, names of directors, parents/subsidiaries

Accounts, share prices, turnover

Goals, achievements, finance

Markets, products, market shares, competitors

Computer systems, suppliers, technologies used

News, comment, company profiles, historical background

3

A useful starting point

Library company information web page:

http://www.uwe.ac.uk/library/resources/bus/comp.htm

Company Information

4

Sources of Information - Basic

Printed Directories

• Regional Leads Report (reference area 338.0941 REG)

• Top 3000 Charities (reference area 361.763 TOP)

Web-based Directories

• Kompass• Kelly Search• Bristol City Council Local

Organisations Database www.bristol-city.gov.uk/organisations

5

6

7

8

Top 3000 Charities

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

Sources of Information – Financial/Performance

Printed

• Annual Company Reports Collection (not updated)

Web-based

• Northcote• FAME• Company/organisation

web-sites

34

35

36

37

Sources of Information – Market Information

Web-based

• Mintel

• Business Insights• Marketline• Nexis UK

(for Keynote Reports)

38

39

40

41

42

43

Sources of Information – IT/IS Information

Printed

• mi IT users 2008 (reference area at 005.3 COM)

• Computer magazines

Web-based

• Business Source Premier

44

mi IT users 2007

45

Sources of Information – News/Magazine Articles

Printed

• Newspapers e.g. Financial Times

• Bristol Evening Post

Web-based

• Nexis• Business Source

Premier• Emerald• Science Direct

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

Things to remember

• Lots of different types of company information

• Make use of any personal contacts you may have

• Directories give basic info

• These can be electronic or traditional book form

59

Things to remember II

• Financial and marketing information is out there

• This can be useful background before you approach a company

• This information can come from the company’s own website or you can research it using one of the resources we’ve looked at

60

Contacting us with enquiries

• Library enquiry desk

• FAQs on the library home page

• Library.Bit@uwe.ac.uk