Guidelines for performing research:
All sections are set up to allow for the fill-in of information. Anywhere the text is italic, would be where
you would put in the information pertaining to the individual assignment (and un-italicize).
Example:
The title of one section reads:
Market Demographics of City, State [or other defined parameter (state, national)
An example of how it would appear in an actual report:
Market Demographics of Orlando, Florida
Market Demographics of South Florida
Market Demographics of South-East United States
Models: Certain sections will different forms of the template depending on the type of business being
analyzed. They will be indicated by a tag, example: [Geographic Model] When choosing which model to
use, delete out the other models and the tags before finalizing the document.
To access any of the library’s research sources, make sure you have access to the online databases. Most
of the sources used will come from the Business Research Guide, found here:
http://libguides.lib.ucf.edu/business
~~~~~
Market Research Package
Market Demographics
You can gain this information from a number of resources and/or statistical websites. Provide the
information in tables if appropriate, using the Insert Table function in Word, for example.
Contingencies:
If working on a local business where the market is confined to a geographic area (i.e. all people in
Orlando, FL), use the Geographic Model. The items can be found with the following resources:
DemographicsNow
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.demographicsnow.com/AllocateOnline.srct
Click the Get Started Button, and on the next page, select the geographic definition. Continue
through the next screen(s) until you have your desired range. Explore the options for the reports
to find one that fits your needs. The Demographic Detail Summary Report should provide most
of the information for the criteria in this section, but other reports may be needed to fill in the
rest.
American Fact Finder
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
This source can be used to find the occupations of the target area. On the left side menu, hover
over People and select Employment. Under Occupation and Class of Worker, select Occupation
by Sex and Median Earnings.
This will give you the information for the overall United States. To narrow, on the left side menu,
select “Change…geography (state, county, place…)”.
Under Select a Geographic Type, select the range that best suits you. If looking for information
for the Orlando Metro Area, select Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area
and select Orlando, and click the Show Result button.
American Community Survey
Under the American Community Survey tab of the Statistics, Demographics, and Census Guide,
or here:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html
This source can be used to find the languages of a population. On the right side of the main page
under the Data by Topic section, select Language. Under the 2005-2009 tab, the first two
options, Language Spoken at Home and Characteristics of People Who Speak Language Other
than English at Home are the most useful. After selecting these, go to the left-side menu under
Change and select “Geography (state, country, place…)” to narrow to the appropriate region.
If working on a business whose market is not confined to a geographic area (i.e. anybody who is
interested in motorcycles), use the Characteristic Model. Use marketing research resources to find
numerical data/tables on the population of people with the characteristic. If the market is defined by
two or more characteristics (i.e. anybody who is interested in motorcycles and social networking), find
the population numbers of each group and list one after the other. Resources that can be used to find
this information include:
Mintel Current
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://academic.mintel.com/
You will need to create an account, but the process is free. This source can be used to find the Income
and Expenditures of the target market, Preferences of the target market, and the Social and economic
trends of the target market.
At the top of the page in the right side corner, select from the drop down menu the country you are
interested. Then, from the menu across the top of the page, select Reports, and go to Report
Categories. Select a category, and under Latest Reports, select See All Reports. Navigate through the
reports to find any that apply to your needs.
When a report is selected, the Contents menu on the left side can guide you to various tables, surveys,
and more.
Target Market Analysis
You can gain this information from a number of statistical websites and resources. Provide the
information in tables if appropriate, using the Insert Table function in Word, for example.
Size of the target market within region:
Contingencies:
If working on a local business where the market is a certain demographic confined to a geographic area
(i.e. all teenagers in Orlando, FL), use the Geographic Model. You will use demographic information to
identify the location, and then narrow down by the criteria. Sources for this would include:
DemographicsNow
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.demographicsnow.com/AllocateOnline.srct
Click the Get Started Button, and on the next page, select the geographic definition. Continue
through the next screen(s) until you have your desired range. Explore the options for the reports to
find one that fits your needs. The Demographic Detail Summary Report should be where you look
first, but other reports may provide more detailed information.
American Community Survey
Under the American Community Survey tab of the Statistics, Demographics, and Census Guide, or
here:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html
This source can be used to find the languages of a population. On the right side of the main page
under the Data by Topic section, select Language. Under the 2005-2009 tab, the first two options,
Language Spoken at Home and Characteristics of People Who Speak Language Other than English at
Home are the most useful. After selecting these, go to the left-side menu under Change and select
“Geography (state, country, place…)” to narrow to the appropriate region.
If working on a business whose market is not confined to a geographic area (i.e. anybody who is
interested in motorcycles), use the Characteristic Model. Use marketing research resources to find
numerical data/tables on the sales or penetration of that characteristic. Because the population size has
been already covered at this point, this section serves to delineate the size of those people who actively
participate and spend money towards the characteristic. If the market is defined by two or more
characteristics (i.e. anybody who is interested in motorcycles and social networking), find the population
numbers of each group and list one after the other. Resources that can be used to find this information
include:
Mintel Current
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://academic.mintel.com/
You will need to create an account, but the process is free. This source can be used to find the
Income and Expenditures of the target market, Preferences of the target market, and the Social and
economic trends of the target market.
At the top of the page in the right side corner, select from the drop down menu the country you are
interested. Then, from the menu across the top of the page, select Reports, and go to Report
Categories. Select a category, and under Latest Reports, select See All Reports. Navigate through the
reports to find any that apply to your needs.
When a report is selected, the Contents menu on the left side can guide you to various tables,
surveys, and more.
Income and Expenditures of the Target Market
This section will show the income and expenses of the typical consumer (food, housing, apparel,
healthcare, etc.) It should look like a pseudo-income statement.
Contingencies:
If working on a local business where the market is a certain demographic confined to a geographic area
(i.e. all teenagers in Orlando, FL), use the Geographic Model. You will use demographic information to
identify the criteria (age, genders, ect.), and then state the income and expenditures. Sources for this
would include:
Consumer Expenditure Survey
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://www.bls.gov/cex/
Under the Tables section will be a selection of data tables that will state the average expenditures of
the people/groups specified. For example, if you were trying to find the average expenditures of
teens, you would use the Current Expenditure Table by Age of reference person. Similarly, if you
were trying to look for the expenditures of people who have not gone to college, you would look by
Education of reference person.
If working on a business whose market is not confined to a geographic area (i.e. anybody who is
interested in motorcycles), use the Characteristic Model. Marketing research information may be the
best source for income information. Finding a report on this characteristic will often include a table
displaying the numbers of people with this characteristic by household income. Alternatively, the
information may come from an industry analysis. This may come from an IBISWorld industry profile
Major Market Segmentation section.
Sources for this can include:
Mintel Current
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://academic.mintel.com/
You will need to create an account, but the process is free. This source can be used to find the
Income and Expenditures of the target market, Preferences of the target market, and the Social and
economic trends of the target market.
At the top of the page in the right side corner, select from the drop down menu the country you are
interested. Then, from the menu across the top of the page, select Reports, and go to Report
Categories. Select a category, and under Latest Reports, select See All Reports. Navigate through the
reports to find any that apply to your needs.
When a report is selected, the Contents menu on the left side can guide you to various tables,
surveys, and more.
IBISWorld
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.ucf.edu/Web/purl.asp?pid=79
or
http://www.ibisworld.com/launch.aspx?
First, the industry the client’s business fall into must be located. The researcher can use the search
function, or browse the reports (listed under the search bar on the main page). Once the industry is
located, click on the link to go to the industry’s page. On the main page will be a section titled
Similar Industries, and throughout the report will be sections containing information on substitute
industries (Industry Life Cycle section, Products and Markets section, Major Companies section, etc.)
For the expenditures under the Characteristic Model, sourcing this information may be more difficult.
One option is to gather all of the demographic information on the typical consumer with the
characteristic, and then obtain consumer expenditure information for each of those demographics.
Then, a weighted average can be computed using the number of people in each of those demographic
parameters. This method is time consuming, however. Weighted average of two groups, A & B, is
computed as follows:
(Amount spent by group A on one category X Number of people in group A) + (Amount spent by group B
on same category X Number of people in group B) / Number of people in group A + Number of people in
group B
(For more than two groups, treat each part of the equation the same. So, instead of A+B, you can have
A+B+C+D.)
This will need to be done for each category of expenses (food, clothing, healthcare, etc.) to formulate
one final table. Sources for this information can include:
Consumer Expenditure Survey
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://www.bls.gov/cex/
Under the Tables section will be a selection of data tables that will state the average expenditures
of the people/groups specified. For example, if you were trying to find the average expenditures of
teens, you would use the Current Expenditure Table by Age of reference person. Similarly, if you
were trying to look for the expenditures of people who have not gone to college, you would look by
Education of reference person.
Preferences and Social and Economic Trends of the target market:
In this section, you will provide tables that report relevant consumer surveys. Look for topics regarding
what defines this target market. If this includes a demographic characteristic, such as age (i.e. teens),
find reports or surveys that relate to the age group. If this includes a type of product or an industry, find
reports or surveys regarding that type of product or industry, and so forth.
The best source for this information is Mintel Current, but other sources under the Marketing &
Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide should be looked at as well.
As in previous sections, provide the information in tables if appropriate, using the Insert Table function
in Word, for example.
Source information:
Mintel Current
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://academic.mintel.com/
You will need to create an account, but the process is free. This source can be used to find the
Income and Expenditures of the target market, Preferences of the target market, and the Social and
economic trends of the target market.
At the top of the page in the right side corner, select from the drop down menu the country you are
interested. Then, from the menu across the top of the page, select Reports, and go to Report
Categories. Select a category, and under Latest Reports, select See All Reports. Navigate through
the reports to find any that apply to your needs.
When a report is selected, the Contents menu on the left side can guide you to various tables,
surveys, and more.
Product Mix
This information is found primarily in the IBIS World page for the client’s industry. The graph is found in
the Products and Markets section of the industry profile, under Products and Services. Any additional
information needing to be added should be sought in other resources found in this guide.
IBISWorld
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.ucf.edu/Web/purl.asp?pid=79
or
http://www.ibisworld.com/launch.aspx?
First, the industry the client’s business fall into must be located. The researcher can use the
search function, or browse the reports (listed under the search bar on the main page). Once the
industry is located, click on the link to go to the industry’s page. On the main page will be a
section titled Similar Industries, and throughout the report will be sections containing
information on substitute industries (Industry Life Cycle section, Products and Markets section,
Major Companies section, etc.)
Bargaining Power of Buyers
A number of sources can be used for this Porter force, both through the library and the general Internet.
You will want to know the industry the business falls into to be able to accurately perform a Five Forces
Analysis.
MarketLine Business Information Center
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.marketlineinfo.com/
Select the box on the left, Library & Education Users. Under the left-hand column, select Browse All
Industries Information. On the left side menu, under Refine Your Search, you can refine by industry
and/or geography. Once you’ve refined your search until you reach the report you need, select the
report and download the PDF file.
The PDF file will be a DataMonitor Report. It will contain a wealth of industry information, and use
the table of contents to find the proper Five Forces Analysis.
Review the graph in the report to assign the numbers into the table in the template. Read the written
analysis in the report that follows the graph. Under the table in the template, use the scores and the
written analysis to create an analysis and a commentary.
The analysis should contain the level of the force (strong, high, moderate, medium, low, weak, etc.),
which should be determined by both the written analysis in the Datamonitor report, as well as the
researcher’s own judgment and experience. In addition to a statement of the level, should be a brief
explanation as to why that is the level—it can reiterate the definitions in the table to suit the industry at
hand for a few particularly relevant/influential parameters.
The commentary should include any especially interesting or pertinent information that may further
explain the analysis. This is where the information in the written analysis in the Datamonitor report can
be further divulged. Avoid repeating the entire section and do NOT copy and paste. The Datamonitor
analysis will almost always be longer and wordier than what is necessary for our research package.
Summarize, simplify, etc. but only if it truly adds valuable meaning to the Porter force analysis.
~~~~~~~
Competitor Research Package
Industry Standards
This information is found primarily in the IBIS World page for the client’s industry. The graph is found in
the Competitive Landscape section of the industry profile, under Basis of Competition. Any additional
information needing to be added should be sought in other resources found in this guide.
IBISWorld
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.ucf.edu/Web/purl.asp?pid=79
or
http://www.ibisworld.com/launch.aspx?
First, the industry the client’s business fall into must be located. The researcher can use the
search function, or browse the reports (listed under the search bar on the main page). Once the
industry is located, click on the link to go to the industry’s page. On the main page will be a
section titled Similar Industries, and throughout the report will be sections containing
information on substitute industries (Industry Life Cycle section, Products and Markets section,
Major Companies section, etc.)
Competition Analysis
Identifying Competitors-Sampling Frame
Use the information from the client questionnaire regarding competition to identify the competitors the
client is facing. There are a number of outcomes that can be arrived at when analyzing this portion of
the questionnaire. The client can be in competition only with national brands/companies. They can be in
competition with only locally owned and operated companies. They can be in competition with Internet
businesses. The client may also be in competition with any combination—the above example is not an
exhausted list. The researcher must use his or her judgment along with a consultation with the client to
determine the scope of the pool of competitors the researcher will include in this package.
Additionally, the size of this scope will also determine the types of research sources information can be
found in. Many national brands will operate locally (example would be a national restaurant chain such
as Denny’s or Olive Garden)—perhaps the client will be in competition with that company’s local
locations (in our example, if the client was opening their own breakfast diner or Italian restaurant). Even
though the client is owned and operated locally, national competition must be considered, perhaps in
addition to local competition (a nearby “mom and pop” diner or Italian restaurant). However, if the
client is only concerned with local competition (example would be a dry cleaners or a nail salon),
researching national brands may prove difficult and irrelevant.
Competitor Profiles
Choose which model to use based on the type of competitors identified:
National Competitor Model: Used when the competitor is a medium to large sized company that has
locations throughout the country/region/state (essentially, a large enough reach not to be considered
locally owned and operated). Use if both the client and the competitor are focused nationally.
National-Local Competitor Model: This is used with the same type of competitors as the National
Competitor Model, but in this model, the client is focused locally. The competitor must have at least one
location within the geographic area of the client/client’s target market.
Locally Owned & Operated Competitor Model: This is used when the competitor is not a national brand,
even if they have local branches or locations in the same vicinity as the client. This type of model is used
for typically independently-owned companies. There may be multiple locations, but they would be
generally confined to the region the client is in and competes in.
National-Internet Model: This is used when the client is either Internet-based or has an Internet sales
component to the business. The competition would also include those companies that sell on the
Internet or have an Internet presence and thus can reach a national market.
Sources for this information:
MarketLine Business Information Center
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.marketlineinfo.com/
Select the box on the left, Library & Education Users. Under the left-hand column, select Browse All
Companies Information. The researcher can locate competitors in a number of ways. If the
researcher has particular competitors in mind, he or she can simply search for the name of the
company (keep in mind that some companies are owned by a parent company—for example, one
would not search for “Olive Garden” but rather “Darden Restaurants”). To narrow results, use the
left side menu to filter by industry, geography, annual revenue, and/or number of employees.
Another way to locate a competitor or, if the researcher does not have a list of competitors in mind,
is to begin by selecting the industry the client is in, and using the filters that follow to narrow down
the pool of companies. From there, the researcher can choose which of the companies would
constitute a competitor.
Once the company is selected, the researcher can download the full profile in PDF form. The PDF file
will be a DataMonitor report, and contains much of the information needed to create a profile for
the company. Not every company’s DataMonitor report will have all of the information that goes
into the profile. Additionally, if the report contains information not on the profile template but
seems useful to the client, it may be wise to include it in the section as an additional parameter.
Hoovers
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://subscriber.hoovers.com/H/home/index.html
If the researcher has a competitor in mind, under the Companies tab in the search field, the
researcher can search for an individual company. If searching by company, when the search results
appear, narrow down the results as needed by using the filters on the left side menu.
If the researcher does not have a particular competitor in mind, a good method of gathering a list of
competitors would be to search by industry. Select the Industries tab in the search field on the main
page and search by the industry the client is in. Scan through the results until the industry the client
is in is found. Select that industry and under the Top Companies section, click View All Companies in
this Industry and search from there.
Once a company is selected, the researcher can use the information found in that company’s page
to fill in the competitor profile. As said above, not every company’s page will have all of the
information that goes into the profile. Additionally, if the page contains information not on the
profile template but seems useful to the client, it may be wise to include it in the section as an
additional parameter.
Tip: If the researcher is having difficulty creating a list of competitors, a suggested method to
generate a list would be to locate at least a few definite/known competitors and read through their
report or page. Identify key terms that link the competitor with the client’s company—often key
words that would be used to describe both companies, or used to describe both of their customers,
product selections, company image, etc. These key words can be used as search terms that can be
entered into the search fields of the databases. For example, if the researcher is looking to find a
competitor for a client that sells clothing to teens, and identifies American Eagle as a competitor,
the researcher will find that the terms “young adult” and “fast fashion” is used in American Eagle’s
Datamonitor report. The researcher can then use “young adult” and “fast fashion” as phrases to
search for and will perhaps find more clothing companies that sell to young adults, such as
Aeropostale, Inc.
When evaluating locally owned and operated competitors, it may be more useful to utilize resources
that focus on the local metro area.
Florida Research and Economic Database
Under the Statistics tab in the Business Research Guide, or at:
http://fred.labormarketinfo.com/
This source can provide a directory of local businesses (including local national brand locations) that
can be narrowed down to metro area and industry sector. The information available from this
source is not detailed, and will not be able to complete a competitor profile, but it is still a good
source to identify competitors even if other information cannot be gathered or must be found
elsewhere.
On the main page, click on Area Profile under the Analysts and Researchers section. Click on the
Detailed Area Profile link. Click on the link for A Specific Metropolitan Statistical Area, and select the
MSA in question. On the next page under the first section, click on the Employers link. Use the
search criteria to find the industry the client is in, and a list of companies will be generated.
Competitive Rivalry within the Industry Industry
A number of sources can be used for this Porter force, both through the library and the general Internet.
You will want to know the industry the business falls into to be able to accurately perform a Five Forces
Analysis.
MarketLine Business Information Center
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.marketlineinfo.com/
Select the box on the left, Library & Education Users. Under the left-hand column, select Browse All
Industries Information. On the left side menu, under Refine Your Search, you can refine by industry
and/or geography. Once you’ve refined your search until you reach the report you need, select the
report and download the PDF file.
The PDF file will be a DataMonitor Report. It will contain a wealth of industry information, and use
the table of contents to find the proper Five Forces Analysis.
Review the graph in the report to assign the numbers into the table in the template. Read the written
analysis in the report that follows the graph. Under the table in the template, use the scores and the
written analysis to create an analysis and a commentary.
The analysis should contain the level of the force (strong, high, moderate, medium, low, weak, etc.),
which should be determined by both the written analysis in the Datamonitor report, as well as the
researcher’s own judgment and experience. In addition to a statement of the level, should be a brief
explanation as to why that is the level—it can reiterate the definitions in the table to suit the industry at
hand for a few particularly relevant/influential parameters.
The commentary should include any especially interesting or pertinent information that may further
explain the analysis. This is where the information in the written analysis in the Datamonitor report can
be further divulged. Avoid repeating the entire section and do NOT copy and paste. The Datamonitor
analysis will almost always be longer and wordier than what is necessary for our research package.
Summarize, simplify, etc. but only if it truly adds valuable meaning to the Porter force analysis.
Threats from Substitute Industries
Identifying Substitutes—Sampling Frame
Use the information from the client questionnaire regarding external competition and substitutes to
identify the substitute industries the client (and their industry) is facing. It is vital to know that a
substitute is NOT the same thing as a direct competitor. For example, Pepsi Cola is not a substitute for
Coca Cola, nor is it even a substitute for Sprite. All three brands are soft drinks, and all three are within
the Carbonated Soft Drink Production in the US industry (NACIS 31211, or the Soft Drink and Ice
Manufacturing Industry). A substitute is an alternative to the type of product or service a business
provides, not an alternative to the specific brand. A substitute would be from outside the industry—with
the soft drink example, substitutes would be milk, coffee, tea, beer, wine, etc. Instead of drinking a
soda, a person could drink iced tea or a beer with their dinner.
To determine if there are substitutes to the client and its industry’s products and/or services, the
researcher must have a general understanding of the industry the client is operating in. Using the
following resources, the researcher should evaluate and identify if there are substitutes, and then form
industry profiles for these substitutes.
The following sources can be used to identify substitutes:
IBISWorld
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.ucf.edu/Web/purl.asp?pid=79
or
http://www.ibisworld.com/launch.aspx?
First, the industry the client’s business fall into must be located. The researcher can use the search
function, or browse the reports (listed under the search bar on the main page). Once the industry is
located, click on the link to go to the industry’s page. On the main page will be a section titled Similar
Industries, and throughout the report will be sections containing information on substitute
industries (Industry Life Cycle section, Products and Markets section, Major Companies section, etc.)
Industry Profiles
In the IBISWorld industry profile (see above), the Similar Industries section can provide a good starting
place to identify possible substitutes. Additional Internet research may be necessary, such as searching
the NAICS website at http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics07/
Once the substitute industries are identified, the profiles can be created primarily from IBISWorld
industry information. If additional information is needed, the researcher can locate the same industry’s
Datamonitor report in MarketLine, and add any missing or additional information. These sources are
found:
IBISWorld
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.ucf.edu/Web/purl.asp?pid=79
or
http://www.ibisworld.com/launch.aspx?
First, the industry the client’s business fall into must be located. The researcher can use the search
function, or browse the reports (listed under the search bar on the main page). Once the industry is
located, click on the link to go to the industry’s page. On the main page will be a section titled
Similar Industries, and throughout the report will be sections containing information on substitute
industries (Industry Life Cycle section, Products and Markets section, Major Companies section,
etc.)
MarketLine Business Information Center
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.marketlineinfo.com/
Select the box on the left, Library & Education Users. Under the left-hand column, select Browse All
Industries Information. The researcher can then locate industries by either using the search
function, and then refining results, or browsing the categories. On the left side menu, under Refine
Your Search, you can refine by industry and/or geography. Once you’ve refined your search until
you reach the report you need, select the report and download the PDF file. The PDF file will be a
DataMonitor Report.
Threat of Substitutes
A number of sources can be used for this Porter force, both through the library and the general Internet.
You will want to know the industry the business falls into to be able to accurately perform a Five Forces
Analysis.
MarketLine Business Information Center
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.marketlineinfo.com/
Select the box on the left, Library & Education Users. Under the left-hand column, select Browse All
Industries Information. On the left side menu, under Refine Your Search, you can refine by industry
and/or geography. Once you’ve refined your search until you reach the report you need, select the
report and download the PDF file.
The PDF file will be a DataMonitor Report. It will contain a wealth of industry information, and use
the table of contents to find the proper Five Forces Analysis.
Review the graph in the report to assign the numbers into the table in the template. Read the written
analysis in the report that follows the graph. Under the table in the template, use the scores and the
written analysis to create an analysis and a commentary.
The analysis should contain the level of the force (strong, high, moderate, medium, low, weak, etc.),
which should be determined by both the written analysis in the Datamonitor report, as well as the
researcher’s own judgment and experience. In addition to a statement of the level, should be a brief
explanation as to why that is the level—it can reiterate the definitions in the table to suit the industry at
hand for a few particularly relevant/influential parameters.
The commentary should include any especially interesting or pertinent information that may further
explain the analysis. This is where the information in the written analysis in the Datamonitor report can
be further divulged. Avoid repeating the entire section and do NOT copy and paste. The Datamonitor
analysis will almost always be longer and wordier than what is necessary for our research package.
Summarize, simplify, etc. but only if it truly adds valuable meaning to the Porter force analysis.
~~~~~~~
Industry Analysis Package
Industry Profile
It may be difficult to find an industry if the company you’re working on does not fall into one distinct
industry. You may have to find the closest possible industry, or do more than one industry profile if the
company falls into more than one industry. You may need to search on MarketLine or Hoovers to get a
better idea of which industry to go with.
IBISWorld
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.ucf.edu/Web/purl.asp?pid=79
or
http://www.ibisworld.com/launch.aspx?
First, the industry the client’s business fall into must be located. The researcher can use the search
function, or browse the reports (listed under the search bar on the main page). Once the industry is
located, click on the link to go to the industry’s page. On the main page will be a section titled Similar
Industries, and throughout the report will be sections containing information on substitute industries
(Industry Life Cycle section, Products and Markets section, Major Companies section, etc.)
MarketLine Business Information Center
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.marketlineinfo.com/
Select the box on the left, Library & Education Users. Under the left-hand column, select Browse All
Industries Information. The researcher can then locate industries by either using the search function,
and then refining results, or browsing the categories. On the left side menu, under Refine Your
Search, you can refine by industry and/or geography. Once you’ve refined your search until you reach
the report you need, select the report and download the PDF file. The PDF file will be a DataMonitor
Report.
Hoovers
Under About a Company tab>General Information in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://subscriber.hoovers.com/H/home/index.html
On the main page, select the Industries tab. You can search for an industry using the search field, or
you can click the Browse Hoover’s Industries link. If browsing, on the next page will be a list of
sectors. Select the sector the client’s industry would fall under.
Tip: Try searching for an obvious competitor. Knowing which industry that company falls into can
help find your industry.
Each section of the industry profile generally follows the same set up as the IBISWorld profile. However,
not every industry can fit into the template properly. Judgment must be used when deciding where to
put bullet points, sub-points, etc. Look at previous examples for ideas, but try to keep the format
somewhat consistent.
This section will take up a great deal of time. Time management is a must.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
and
Barriers to Entry/Threat of New Entrants
A number of sources can be used for these Porter forces, both through the library and the general
Internet. You will want to know the industry the business falls into to be able to accurately perform a
Five Forces Analysis.
Sources of information:
MarketLine Business Information Center
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.marketlineinfo.com/
Select the box on the left, Library & Education Users. Under the left-hand column, select Browse
All Industries Information. On the left side menu, under Refine Your Search, you can refine by
industry and/or geography. Once you’ve refined your search until you reach the report you need,
select the report and download the PDF file.
The PDF file will be a DataMonitor Report. It will contain a wealth of industry information, and
use the table of contents to find the proper Five Forces Analysis.
Business Environment Research Package
Local Environment
BizMiner
This source must be accessed using one of the “seats” (log-ins) that the University of Central Florida has
purchased. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has its own log-in. Contact the CEI at
cei@bus.ucf.edu or (407) 823-3683 to inquire about access.
Not every parameter in the template will be in the Bizminer reports, and the reports may contain more
information than found on the template. Provide the information most useful to the client.
BizMiner’s website is http://www.bizminer.com/
Once logged in, the researcher will go to Industry Search on the left side menu, and will find the
appropriately matching industry through either using the search field or “drilling down” by going
through broader categories listed. If one of these is selected, sub-categories will need to be chosen until
the appropriate industry is found.
Once the industry is chosen, click the icon “Show Industry Reports”. The most appropriate reports
typically are US Market Research Reports, Local Market Research Reports, or Competitive Market
Analyzer. Click “Create Now”, then select further geographic details (if appropriate), and then the class
and/or industry size choices (choose the category the client would fall under, or all, as appropriate) and
then utilize the reports to fill in the appropriate tables on the template.
Labor Force
and
Pay Norms
Sources for this information can be found in the various demographic resources found elsewhere in this
guide (see below).
Additional sources include:
http://bls.gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm#FL
Choose the appropriate region, and in the document will be a number of tables with a vast array of
information.
Industry norms: http://bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2009.htm#Wage_Tables
DemographicsNow
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://library.demographicsnow.com/AllocateOnline.srct
Click the Get Started Button, and on the next page, select the geographic definition. Continue
through the next screen(s) until you have your desired range. Explore the options for the reports
to find one that fits your needs. The Demographic Detail Summary Report should provide most of
the information for the criteria in this section, but other reports may be needed to fill in the rest.
American Fact Finder
Under Marketing & Consumer Behavior tab in the Business Research Guide, or here:
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
This source can be used to find the occupations of the target area. On the left side menu, hover
over People and select Employment. Under Occupation and Class of Worker, select Occupation by
Sex and Median Earnings.
This will give you the information for the overall United States. To narrow, on the left side menu,
select “Change…geography (state, county, place…)”.
Under Select a Geographic Type, select the range that best suits you. If looking for information for
the Orlando Metro Area, select Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area and
select Orlando, and click the Show Result button.
American Community Survey
Under the American Community Survey tab of the Statistics, Demographics, and Census Guide, or
here:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html
This source can be used to find the employment information of a population. On the right side of
the main page under the Data by Topic section, select Employment. Under the 2005-2009 tab, the
options include Employment Status, Commuting to Work, and more. After selecting these, go to
the left-side menu under Change and select “Geography (state, country, place…)” to narrow to
the appropriate region.