Business Librarian
Doing research on a company
A public company has shares of stock that represent an ownership interest and are traded openly on a stock exchange like NASDAQ or NYSE. The U.S. requires public companies to report their financial performance and governance structure to the Securities and Exchange Commission annually. That makes information on many public companies easy to find.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
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Content type(s): Contains U.S. and international publicly-held company data and reports.
MUI 440 students: Includes legal structure of business and legal representation
Dates covered: 1993 to present - Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
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Content types: Peer-reviewed journals, industry and market research reports, magazines, news sources, SWOTs
Dates covered: 1922-present
International Directory of Company HistoriesProvides unbiased histories of companies that are a leading influence in a particular industry. All four companies selected by MUI 440 teams in Spring 2024 are covered.
- Doing Business Research: Using Mergent Online
Tips for using the Mergent Online database to find information about a company.
- Doing Business Research: Using Business Source Complete
Tips for using the Business Source Complete database to find information about a company, industry or topic.
A private company is a company that is not traded on any stock exchange. Private companies as a general rule do not have to file any documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Consequently, finding information on private companies can be challenging.
- PrivCo This link opens in a new windowContent type(s): Business and financial research on non-publicly traded companies, including family-owned, private equity-owned, venture-backed, and international unlisted companies.
Note: Users will need to register for an academic account using their JMU email address
Dates covered: Current. Limited historical data. - Data Axle Reference Solutions This link opens in a new windowContent types: Directory of U.S. businesses (key personnel, addresses, credit rating, estimated sales volume, subsidiaries, etc.)
Dates covered: Current
- International Directory of Company HistoriesProvides unbiased histories of companies that are a leading influence in a particular industry. All four companies selected by MUI 440 teams in Spring 2024 are covered.
- Doing Business Research: Searching in PrivCo
Tips for using the PrivCo database to find information about a company.
- Doing Business Research: Using Data Axle Reference Solutions
Tips for using the Data Axle Reference Solutions database to find information about a company.
A subsidiary is a company that is owned or controlled by another company, which could be called the parent or holding company. Subsidiaries are separate entities from their parent companies, but their financials are reported on the parent's consolidated financial statements (Investopedia, 2023). It often can be difficult to find data specific to a subsidiary.
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new windowContent type(s): LexisNexis® Corporate Affiliations directory can help identify subsidiaries and how they fit into a parent's organizational hierarchy.
Dates covered: Current - Uniworld Online This link opens in a new windowContent type(s): Provides contact information for headquarters, subsidiaries and branches for companies in more than 200 countries.
Dates covered: Current
- CrocTrailRecommended by the Library of Congress, this is a data source sponsored by the Sunlight Foundation for information about corporations and their subsidiaries. It pulls data from SEC filings about U.S. publicly traded corporations.
How can I learn more about the different types of corporate legal structures?
The Encyclopedia of Small Business can help you understand the differences between different structures (C Corporation, Partnership, LLC, S Corporation, Sole Proprietorship, Cooperative).
Encyclopedia of Small Business
Call Number: e-bookOne-stop source for valuable information on a wide range of topics of interest to small business owners.
The Small Business Start-Up Kit is aimed at entrepreneurs who are trying to choose a legal structure for their company, select a location, write an effective business plan, and more
The Small Business Start-Up KitISBN: 9781413327243Publication Date: 2020-02-04The Small Business Start-Up Kit shows you how to: choose a legal structure, choose a location, write an effective business plan, and more.
- Small Business Administration: Choose a business structureAccording to the SBA, "Your business structure affects how much you pay in taxes, your ability to raise money, the paperwork you need to file, and your personal liability." To help entrepreneurs choose a structure, the SBA outlines the common ones.
How can I find an organizational chart for a company I'm researching?
Organizational charts can be considered proprietary information, so they might be difficult to find for small firms or privately-held companies. To see examples from large public companies or startups, try The Official Board or Crunchbase.
Other strategies for finding charts: try asking a similar firm if they'd be wiling to share theirs, or Google strategically and look through LOTS of results. Copy and paste this search: ("organizational chart" OR "org chart") [your industry] ext:pdf. Change [your industry} to the one you want to find. Here is an example search for org charts posted by libraries.
Learn more about Organizational Charts and how to structure them from the Encyclopedia of Management. (2019).
- The Official BoardSearch by company name or browse by industry. Sign up for a free account to view a small number of org charts each month.
- The Official Board via Nexis UniDon't want to sign up for an account at The Official Board website? Their charts are available in this Libraries database at no additional charge.