Starting a Business - Corporation
A business’s form is an important legal and strategic decision. Any research you do regarding a business should include looking at its form and any public filings associated with it. To gather this information, look at company information listings from library. For general information about business forms, see the Secretary of State website for the state in which the business is organized.
There are particular legal concerns for any business organized as a corporation. These issues can range from tax considerations to office and director liability. Research on corporations can include company sources, industry sources, as well as publicly available filings. Many news publications cover cases involving officer and director liability. Forming a corporation is also a common research topic, and the Secretary of State website for the state in which the business is organized is a good first stop.
Company Overview
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new windowGo to Companies in the upper left hand corner then click on "Companies" under "Search Profiles". Type in the company name.
- MarketLine Company Profiles This link opens in a new window
MarketLine (formerly Datamonitor) Company Profiles provide profiles of companies worldwide. Each profile includes a business description, company history, key employees, major products/services and competitors. Many of the profiles contain a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. To locate company profile, browse alphabetical list of company profiles or type company name into Browse For search box and click on Browse button. Available through Business Source Complete.
- MSCI ESG Direct This link opens in a new windowTracks the social, environmental and governance of corporations throughout the world.
- Hoover's Company Records This link opens in a new windowThe Hoover's Company Records Database via Nexis Uni contains information for more than 40,000 major public and private companies worldwide. In-Depth Records include overviews and histories, up to 10 years of key financial and employment data, lists of products and key competitors, names of key officers, addresses, and phone and fax numbers.
Company Financials
- Factiva This link opens in a new windowClick on Company under the Companies/Markets tab at the top of the page and then find a company snapshot by either ticker or name.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowThis database will compare company against company using ratios and financial metrics, access company SEC filings like 10-k’s as well as annual reports and allows you to export financials into Excel.
- EDGAR (U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission)To locate a filing for a company, click on the "Company Filings" link on the left hand side. Here is a page describing SEC forms.
- WRDS: Compustat North AmericaCompustat North America (from Standard & Poor’s) is a database of U.S. and Canadian fundamental and market information on more than 24,000 active and inactive publicly held companies. It provides more than 300 annual and 100 quarterly Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows, and supplemental data items.
- WRDS: Compustat GlobalCompustat Global provides data on over 28,500 companies and represents over 90% of the world’s market capitalization, including 90% of the Asian market cap, 90% of the Indian market cap, 95% of the Taiwanese market cap and 95% of the European market cap. BU subscription does not include the Emerging Markets Database (from S&P).
- BloombergPerform complex analysis with company financials and stock information. Bloomberg is accessible via a stand-alone terminal in the Pardee Library. During times of peak usage, users can sign up for half-hour sessions a day. Please see the Bloomberg signup binder located next to the Bloomberg Terminal.
Private Company Information
Information on private companies, especially financial information is challenging to find. Company overviews and articles from business and trade publications are good sources for private company information.
- MarketLine Company Profiles This link opens in a new window
- Factiva This link opens in a new window
- Hoover's Company Records This link opens in a new window
Industry Information
- Industry Survey LocatorLook here first to find what industry surveys are available both online and in books through the Pardee Library. This database was organized by library staff to help students find Industry Overviews and Trends for their industry easily. Includes MarketLine (Formerly Datamonitor) Reports from Business Source Complete and IBISWorld reports.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowContains Industry Surveys from MarketLine (Formerly Datamonitor), Global Insight and EIU Economist Intelligence Unit Industry Forecasts. For industries in other countries, go to Business Source Complete’s main page, select Industry Profiles then select Country. Also find articles in Business Source Complete by keyword, author, title and publication.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive collection of Industry reports organized by NAICS code. Reports include competitive landscape, supply chain, statistics and key facts as well as information on key issues facing the industry. Includes U.S. Specialized Industry Reports and Global Industry Reports.
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new window
NetAdvantage (S&P Global) provides web based access to S&P Industry Surveys, S&P Company Profiles, Stock Reports and Sub-Industry Reviews. Each S&P Industry Survey includes current trends, how the industry operates, downloadable company data and links to industry trade associations.
- Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Corporations DivisionProvides information on corporate filings.
For additional resources, see the BU School of Law Libraries Corporate Law guides. Some of the resources on the Law Library’s guides are only accessible by BU Law students, but the law guides do provide a more detailed coverage of the subject.
For additional resources, see the Company Information Sources guide, the Industry Information Sources guide, the Entrepreneurship and New Ventures guide and the Financing Business Ventures guide.
