CES Search Fund: Generating Industry Ideas
Research resources recommended by your librarian.
About
Created in consultation with the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and a GSB alumnus, this page is designed to assist you with finding data.
Watch videos of Stanford search fund panels and more at the CES site.
All resources below are available at the Library. Remote online access to subscription databases is available to current Stanford community. Stanford Business School alumni may access the database package offered by Stanford GSB Alumni Association.
Searching the Industry
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new windowIndustry overviews in S&P Industry Surveys in the Reference Section include: Current Environment; Industry Profile including trends and how the industry operates; Key Industry Ratios & Statistics; and the keys to analyzing a company in this industry.
- D&B Hoovers This link opens in a new windowIntegrates information from over 2,500 business sources. The industry Profiles can include Market Research reports, Analyst Reports, Industry Norms, and articles. Financial data on the companies in the industries can be downloaded into Excel.
- ValuationResources.comIndustry Resources Reports list resources available from trade associations, industry publications, and research firms which address subjects such as industry overview, issues, trends, and outlook, financial benchmarking, compensation surveys, and valuation resources. Reports are available for more than 220 industries.
- Yahoo Finance: IndustriesContain industry profiles and extensive financial data on the industry and the public companies in the industry. Some of the charts can be downloaded into Excel.
Industry Financial Performance
- D&B Hoovers This link opens in a new windowAllows you to choose a set of companies and a set of financial data and download the results into Excel.
- RMA Annual Statement Studies(Latest on Reference)
Gives standard ratios by industry based on the size of the company. - ValuationResources.comProvides a comprehensive list of the sources available for financial benchmarking. It includes both general sources and links to specific industry resources with the costs of each.
- Business WeekLook under Corporate Scoreboard.
Your Librarian
![[photo - Nora Richardson]](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/photo-staff-library-richardson-nora.jpg)
Searching Cases
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowContain cases which can be good sources for industry ideas.
- Harvard Business School PublishingMany Stanford cases are available there and others can be purchased through the Stanford cases site.
Suggestion: Someone who built a traditional business in a traditional industry, e.g. vacuum cleaners