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Information Search Resources

Competitor Information Search, Financial Reports and Analysis, Message Board Directories and Newsgroups, News Article Searches, Price Comparison Search Services, Search Engine Directories, Trade Association Directories

Financial Reports and Analysis (Competitor Information Search)

On the Corporate Information Website you can search for research reports and other information worldwide by individual company, industry, country, or state.

FreeEDGAR is the free version of EDGAR online. You can find SEC filings for individual companies, summary information, and links to analysis.

The McKinsey Quarterly site and newsletter include reports on several functions and numerous industries. You can access full reports with a free registration.

At Hoover’s Online, basic company and industry information is available free of charge. Subscribers can access more detailed information. Individual subscriptions run in the high-$ annually. Call for details about business subscriptions.

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News Article Searches

bizjournals.com carries highlights from the 40 city journals across the U.S. Includes searchable archives back to 1996.

FindArticles is a searchable directory of articles from over 300 print and online publications, dating back to 1998. Includes articles in nine categories.

MagPortal indexes articles from numerous magazines into a searchable directory.

Search Engine Directories

The Business.com search engine specializes in Industry-specific news, information, and resources. Includes 26 industries and numerous sub-industries. Resources in each section include news headlines, tools, tutorials, select research, and industry Websites.

ProFusion allows you to access hundreds of specialized vertical search engines, create your own personal search engine, and more.

The Search Engine Guide site contains a directory of over 3,500 search engines and directories as well as news articles and commentary.

Message Board Directories and Newsgroups

From Google Groups you can read and post to Usenet groups at no charge.

MSN Communities lists communities under 17 different categories. You can drill down in the directory or do a search to find communities.

SmartGroups targets organizations, clubs, and societies. Besides messaging, each group includes classified ads, an event calendar, a files area, and other features.

Topica contains thousands of newsletters and discussion groups within 16 major subject categories.

Yahoo! Groups contains thousands of groups in 16 categories.

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Trade Association Directories

Associations on the Net is a service of The Internet Public Library. The searchable database contains more than 2000 associations on the Internet, categorized in 10 subject areas and numerous sub-categories.

Competitor Information

The Alexa Toolbar and directory is available to “make web surfing smarter and easier.” There are several toolbar functions helpful in analyzing your online competition (Use the traffic numbers as directional only. They are not accurate for use as true ranking or traffic numbers). For each Website you visit, Alexa provides a traffic ranking, Alexa users’ site reviews, and a list of related links. The toolbar is free. In exchange, Alexa collects data about your browsing habits as well as other behavioral information.

The Marketleap Visibility Index will compare your site’s link popularity with up to three others. The report includes a detailed list from six different search engines/directories.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Barometer Surveys is a quarterly survey of 600 top executives in fast-growing companies. They interpret the results – looking for trends and other hot topics among these companies. Important observations and results are published under Barometer surveys. Most information is general, with some industry-specific results available.

Kompass is a database of 1.6 million companies worldwide. You can search companies by world region and product. Once you have a list of companies you can view their name, address, and Website URL free. To access more detailed information, you must pay with one or two “credit units” (depending on the information available). The price for credit units starts in the low-$ per 50.

Price Comparison Services

DealTime is a price comparison service. When you search for a particular item, the site gives you a table of several online retailers. Information includes store rating and price. DealTime also lets you search from your PDA (personal digital assistant) or web-enabled telephone as well as your computer.

MySimon is a free Internet price comparison service. You can compare prices, read reviews, or get product information. The results list availability, shipping charges, pricing, and merchant rating.

These resources were originally developed as companion to the strategic marketing plan development book How Much for Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing for Small-budget Businesses. I've updated them as additional appropriate resources come to my attention. In developing these resource lists, I scoured the Web for resources useful to small-budget businesses and entrepreneurs. I looked for sites and services that would help you learn more about Internet Marketing and help you get things done efficiently. My focus is on services that appear to be designed for the needs and time frames of small businesses. Bobette

To the best of my knowledge, resource information was accurate at the time of this writing. Current programs may vary from those reported here. Please let me know if you find any outdated information. Although my intent is to list only upstanding products and services on the site, I cannot personally  make any guarantees. It is wise to check any company out before purchasing, signing any agreement, or making a commitment. Online fraud bureaus and consumer groups are one way to do this. Among them are The Better Business Bureau (and BBBOnline), Fraud Bureau, The Federal Trade Commission, the Internet Crime Complain Center , Complaints.com, and Scambusters. Bobette