Business Company Profiles

Business company profiles are a valuable source of business intelligence on competitors, prospects, customers and potential suppliers. They are used by professionals that require business information to meet objectives such as:

Preparing for meetings and sales calls

Evaluating new business opportunities

Planning marketing campaigns

Preparing sales and financial forecasts

Sources of Company Profiles

Some basic information is freely available on the Internet, but the highest quality information with the most editorial verification is available through business information service providers, such as OneSource.

Company profiles summarize a companys history, executives, financials and other information. They are often offered by business information services as part of extensive information databases, business browser solutions or single company research reports. Users usually purchase a subscription to access them.

Company Profile Components

A company profile provides the information business professionals need to get a full picture of a prospect, competitor, customer, or acquisition opportunity. Common components include:

Company information that shows how a company is organized: This often identifies business type, and provides a list of office locations and subsidiaries, along with contact information including URLs, and the parent and corporate family name.

Snapshot of top-line data to give a sense for company size, longevity and viability: Number of employees, credit rating, annual sales and year of incorporation are data that fall into this category.

Business description showing how the company positions itself: This briefly summarizes a companys focus, history, competitive position and corporate structure.

Listings of senior staff to support marketing campaigns and meeting preparation: The most detailed company profiles also include top executive profiles.

Financial health data: Credit ratings, recommended credit limits and annual sales data is often provided.

Market position data that shows how the company competes: Common information includes major brands and trade names, lines of business, neighboring businesses, key competitors, markets served, and SIC and NAICS codes.

Announcements and news coverage: A comprehensive company profile summarizes headlines publicizing key events and provides full text of select news coverage and press releases.

Business Reports

Premier business information providers like OneSource, complement their company profiles with in-depth business reports on specific areas of interest. OneSource supplements its executive listings with biographies, educational background and professional affiliations.

Other OneSource reports include IT profiles and company research with expert analytical coverage on a companys market size, top players and financial forecasts. Real-time news alerts help business users track events affecting top clients, prospects and competitors.