Finding company profiles and SWOT analyses
13/02/2025
If you are researching a company for a project or job interview, a company profile will be really helpful, as will a SWOT analysis.
A profile will give you the basic information you need about the firm and its activities, including a company overview and key facts, information on structure and strategy, details of top competitors, major products and services, prospects etc. A SWOT analysis will highlight the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and you can use this as a basis for further investigation about the company and/or its competitors. Profiles and SWOTs can be found in Factiva, Passport and our journal databases – both EBSCO Business Source Complete and ProQuest One Business. Read on to find out more.
Factiva
Factiva’s Company Snapshots provide a general company overview. You also have access to company performance and segment information including financial results, a peer-group analysis which ranks competitors and links to latest news items. Standard reports can be downloaded to pdf or you can create a report customised to your requirements. To access these, select ‘Companies / Markets’ > ‘Company’ from the tabs at the top left of the Factiva homepage.
EBSCO Business Source Complete
To source profiles and SWOTs from Business Source Complete:
- Open the Advanced search interface on the database.
- Type the name of the company into the search box and select the option for Title in the dropdown menu.
Searching in EBSCO Business Source Complete
- Then click to Search. That’s it.
Searching for company information in EBSCO Business Source Complete
- If you specifically want a SWOT analysis, add the acronym SWOT into the search box with the company name. It’s that simple!
Searching for a SWOT analysis in EBSCO Business Source Complete
ProQuest One Business
Like Business Source Complete, ProQuest also includes company profiles within its collections from sources such as D&B Hoovers and GlobalData. It also includes some brokers and analysts’ reports which have a more financial focus. Some of these publications will have additional terms and conditions that you need to agree to.
Again, simply enter your company name into the search box and click on the ‘Company Reports’ button before you click to Search.
Passport
Passport includes short country-specific profiles for companies within individual industries so if you’re interested in Nestlé’s role in the UK snacks market or similar, these give a more focused view. They will often be presented as a datagraphic. Related reports and data are available to download.
If you have any questions about any aspect of company research, please contact SOM Library.
Feature image from Pixabay. Available at: https://pixabay.com/photos/financial-analytics-blur-business-2860753/
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Adding documents to your Mendeley account
To make the most of a Mendeley account, it is useful to create and maintain a ‘Library’ of references. You can add references and documents to this Library in a number of ways: 1) Drag ...
Choosing the right reference management tool for you…
Are you thinking about using reference management software to help you manage your references? The Library is here to help you. While Mendeley has been our go-to reference management software for some years, we've recently ...
Cranfield Seed Fund recipient, Cosysense, are using AI to solve air conditioning problems and provide a net zero alternative
If you’ve ever worked in an office environment you’ve probably been involved in, or overheard, a conversation about the air conditioning. Well, it’s no surprise it’s a common complaint when research shows that up ...
An Eye-Opening Journey in Advanced GIS & Remote Sensing at Cranfield University
My experience in the Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing course at Cranfield University was nothing short of transformational. From day one, the course was designed to provide both technical expertise and real-world applications. What ...
EBSCO databases – User interface changes
EBSCO has recently introduced a new user interface which you will see when you access any of our EBSCO databases - Business Source Complete, EBSCO eJournals and eBooks, GreenFILE, PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO. If you've used ...
Drive your career forward: Master Virtual Prototyping for Vehicle Structures at Cranfield
In the fast-paced world of automotive and motorsport engineering, precision and innovation are non-negotiable. At Cranfield University, the Virtual Prototyping for Vehicle Structures MSc is designed to equip you with the ...