Industries are classified into one or more classification systems. The two main classification systems are SIC and NAICS. Many business databases allow you to search by these codes, so it can be very helpful if you know how to find them.
Companies will be assigned more than one industry code if they are operating in more than one line of business.
IBISWorld is our most comprehensive source of industry level data. You can search for industry information by classification code, industry description or company name.
It also includes "Business Environment Reports" that offer short summaries of data and analysis on over 250 economic drivers, categorized in seven “environments” that surround the economy.
Students should remove the "student" from their email address and enter their GSU username@gsu.edu for off-campus access.
Ex: lsimpson@student.gsu.edu should be entered as lsimpson@gsu.edu.
Look for articles on your industry in some of our key business article databases.
Discover - As a high-concept pitch, Discover is the "Google search for library databases." You will get a lot background articles about your business start-ups from databases with different disciplines.
The amount of information that's available on any given industry will vary depending on the age and size of the industry, among other factors.
If you can't find information on your industry consider the following strategies:
