Company and Industry Research

The majority of US businesses are privately owned, which means that they do not sell stock to the public.  They are not required to make detailed reports to the US government, therefore, it is harder to find information about private companies.  The vast majority of these private companies are small, home-based initiatives with few if any employees aside from the owner. 

Mergent Intellect has at least directory information on many private companies.

Forbes Largest Private Companies  This list is updated every year and can be found at the Forbes website by clicking on LISTS and then clicking on “Private Companies.”  This list offers minimal information about the companies, such as revenue for previous year, revenue change, net profit, and employees.  Further information on these companies can be found in Mergent Intellect.

Inc. Magazine’s 500: America’s fastest growing private companies can be accessed through the Inc. Magazine homepage and clicking on the Inc. 500/5000 tab.  The list contains information on revenue, growth, link to company web site, and number of employees.

U.S. Corporate Registries  A listing by state of government agencies that oversee company registrations.  From the U.K.'s Companies House.