Company Research

This guide is a starting point for those who are looking to do research on companies and competitors. It contains a selection of resources that will help you find information on publicly-traded and private companies.

You will be doing company research if you are: 

• Creating a new business or startup
• Writing a business plan
• Working on a marketing audit or marketing plan
• Launching a new product or service for an existing business
• Preparing for a job interview or as part of career research

If you have questions about Industry research, don't hesitate to contact TMU Libraries' Business and Entrepreneurship Librarian.

Private Company – A private company is one that is owned by an individual, family, or group of partners. The amount of information that private companies must report is limited, and much of that is confidential. Thus, it is often difficult to find much information on a private company.

Public Company – A public company is a company that issues securities or shares of stock for the public. Those who purchase these securities or shares become investors in and owners of the company. This process is regulated by the Canadian Securities Administrators in Canada and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US, and public companies must file numerous financial and other reports with their country's regulators. Because these reports are public information, much data and information can be found when researching public companies.

Parent – A larger company that has a controlling interest in one or more companies (subsidiaries).

Subsidiary – A company which is owned in whole or in part by another company. When researching a subsidiary, it is often advantageous to also research the owning company or the parent company.

Adapted from BRASS Business Guide - Company and Industry Research © 2000-2021 BRASS Education Committee. Content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

To learn more, join the Competitor Research workshop at the library, which focuses on researching companies. This workshop is offered three times a year and is eligible for a badge. Check the workshops page for an upcoming session. 

The Competitor Research workshop is part of the Entrepreneurship Skills for Everyone series. Check out the entire series to be eligible for a stacked badge!

This guide has been created by the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License unless otherwise marked.