PACE Client-Based Consulting Resources: Best Bets!

Performing industry research is a skill that you will use beyond your time in school, and for many similar reasons. The tool on this page is a small portion of what is accessible through the GSU Library.

• IBISWorld is an excellent resource for understanding an industry, including the current issue and the major US competitors.   If you're unsure about the industry for your client's company,  use ReferenceUSA.to look up the NAICS code and quick access to company business data. 
• ABI/INFORM provides industry reports for countries overseas.

Business articles in journals, magazines & trade publications are available through GSU Library databases. A selection of some places to start with best-practices research:

• ABI/Inform Complete  - good for articles, news and trade publications
• Business Source Complete - Company profiles, SWOT analyses, market research, trade publications
• Google Scholar - an excellent way to locate scholarly resources. Link your your Google Scholar's Settings to Georgia State University Library will let you quickly find out if we have access to that item through the library's resources. 

Departmental Guides

• Accounting
• Computer Information Systems
• Finance
• Health Administration
• Hospitality
• International Business
• Managerial Sciences
• Marketing
• Real Estate
• Risk Management & Insurance

Special Topic Guides

• Small Business & Entrepreneurship
• Advertising
• State of Georgia
  Business Information

To learn more about your clients' company background information, search company profiles and SWOT analyses

• Company Profiles, public and large private companies, can be searched in Business Source Complete.
• SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis reports are available for many companies through Business Source Complete and provide a good overview of the company's current environment.

Resources to consider when researching a company's finance & competition:

• Is this company public or private? It can be more difficult to find information about private companies.
  • Mergent is an easy-to-use database to gather basic background information about a company, including basic sales, contact information and the company's status as public or private.  
  • Small, private company financial information is less likely to be available, but estimates may be included in ReferenceUSA or free-trial web resources such as Crunchbase or PitchBook.  

The Library has a number of books focused on business consulting and communication in business. Some of these items are listed below. To find others, check the items close to these on the library shelves, or try searching for some of these terms:

• Business consulting
• Business communication
• Business presentations

Sample Resources

• Principles and practices of professional consulting (ebook)
• The Five Vital Signs of Conversation: Address, Self-Disclosure, Seating, Eye-Contact and Touch (ebook)
• Business Writing Today : a practical guide HF5718.3 .c3655 2016 (Library North 4)
• Presentation Zen: Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery: HF5718.22 .R49 2008 (Library North 4)