LibGuides: Topic: Entrepreneurship & Business Plan Guide: Industry Information

Industry Codes

The NAICS Association's Page
You can browse the codes by using a drill down menu or search by keywords, NAICS, and SIC Code. It also allows you to convert SIC to NAICS codes and vice versa.
Census Bureau's NAICS Page
You can search by keywords and look up the corresponding SIC and NAICS codes.

Finding Industry Profiles

A good way to learn about an industry is to consult an industry report. A typical industry report provides information on how an industry operates including current market forces, challenges, barriers to entry, trends and opportunities, aggregate financial data, list of leading companies, and forecasts. Below are some resources for locating industry reports:

BCC Research
In-depth market research reports in the following categories: advanced materials, advanced transportation technologies, biotechnology, chemicals, energy, environment, engineering, food & beverages, fuel cells and battery technologies, healthcare, information technology (IT), instrumentation and sensors, manufacturing, membrane & separation technology, pharmaceuticals, plastics, safety & security, and semiconductors.
Business Source Complete
Enter your industry keywords such as "automobile industry" and "united states" to find an industry profile.
IBISWorld
Provides access to industry, company, and economic reports. To find industry reports, click on Industry Market Research button on top. Search by keywords such as toys, golf course etc. Updated regularly, these reports include key statistics, market characteristics, segmentation, industry conditions, key success factors, key competitors and outlook.
NetAdvantage
Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage provides in-depth analysis on 52 large industries. Each industry survey includes sections on current environment, trends, how the industry operates, key ratios and statistics. To locate an industry survey, click on industries tab on top of the screen.

Get Data About Your Industry

Census Bureau Economic Statistics
Use the search box in the site to look for all census and current data about a particular industry, e.g. cotton, pork, etc...
Economic Census
The Economic Census is the U.S. Government's official five-year measure of American business and the economy. The site offers data in tabular form.
Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB)
Provides detailed annual data for U.S. business establishments by geography, industry, and enterprise size.
County Business Patterns (CBP)
Provides subnational economic data by industry, including the number of establishments, employment, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll.
Industries at a Glance by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Over 100 industry pages are available. These pages display a "snapshot" of national data obtained from different BLS surveys and programs. The data shown are based on the NAICS supersector, sector, and industry level.

Trade Associations

Trade associations represent the common interests of individuals and companies in a specific line of business or industry. These associations can offer a wealth of information as they monitor industry trends and collect relevant data such as market statistics, lists of members, and customers' buying patterns. Listed below are sources for identifying trade associations:

NetAdvantage
Click on the Industries tab. Industry Surveys is the default list. Select the relevant industry report from the alphabetical list and click on Industry References. Provides the mailing and web address for all relevant associations.

You can also search the Web to find trade associations. Most associations have a web site and can be located using a search engine such as Google.

Topic: Entrepreneurship & Business Plan Guide — Industry Information

Industry Codes

Finding Industry Profiles

Get Data About Your Industry

Trade Associations