Company Research 

The purpose of this guide is to help you find information about companies.  There are many sources of company information. Always consider the source, credibility, potential bias and currency of information.

Ø What the company tells you:

company websites, promotional materials

Ø What the company keeps confidential:

internal information, trade secrets

Ø What the company has to disclose to the government:

10Q, 10K, other SEC forms, economic census, state filings

Ø What others say about the company:

news, blogs, research articles, books, market research, analyst reports, government, industry and trade experts (may be free or fee-based)

• Sells shares to general public to raise capital
• Regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• Required to disclose financial information to SEC and shareholders
• Listed on one of stock exchanges and has a ticker symbol 

• May be owned by founders, employees , and large investors (venture capitalists)
• No disclosure of information is required

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Try different search engines to locate business information.

Company: a business enterprise; an inclusive term for any type of business organization which can be a proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation.

Sole proprietorship: the simplest and most common form of business organization.  The major legal requirement is that the founder register the business name with the local goverment where the company will reside.

Partnership: an association of two or more people for the purpose of jointly owning a business.

Corporation: a legal entity created by state charter, endowed with specific powers and capable of surviving the deaths of its owners. May be profit and nonprofit (educational, scientific, charitable and religious).  Stockholders and employees of a corporation cannot be held personally responsible for any debt or lawsuits faced by the company.

Establishment:    a single physical location where business is conducted, or where services are performed. The term is used by the U.S. Bureau of Census for any business location that has one or more employees.  Many businesses operate in multiple establishments. The establishment definition varies among industry groups because of differences in structure or standard practices

Enterprise:   a company, firm, or other commercial entity, whether private or public, for profit or nonprofit. Often applied to a newly formed venture. May consist of many physical locations, or establishments. The term is used by the U.S. Bureau of Census.

Firm:  a commercial partnership of two or more persons; the name or designation under which a company transacts business. Legally firm refers only to an nonincorporated business.

Parent Company: a company that controls or owns another company or companies.

Subsidiary: a distinctly separate firm controlled by a parent company through the ownership of a majority of the subsidiary's stock or assets.

Wholly owned subsidiary: 100 % of the firm's stock or assets have been acquired by the parent.

Franchise: an arrangement in which an independent business operates one or more establishments under license by the parent company, which may provide training, advertising, and financing.

Compiled from:

Dictionary of Business Terms: Barron's Business Guides by Jack P. Friedman

Business Information: Needs and Strategies by Eileen G. Abels and Deborah P. Klein