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AWARE: UK competitive intelligence consultants offering competitor analysis and research services, competitive intelligence training & workshops and CI and marketing strategy consultancy.

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About Us > Help & Support > FAQs > Question 1: Finding Basic Competitor Intelligence

Marketing & Competitive Intelligence FAQ
Finding Basic Competitor Intelligence


We are currently in the process of performing our market research for a new short-term investment firm that we wish to establish and we were wondering if you may be able to provide us with some insight regarding how to obtain specific data on our competitors. For example, we are looking for general business information such as the year established, number of employees, annual sales, market share, annual growth rate, and budget information.

Most of this information is in the public domain, and it should be fairly easy to collect for most markets. In many countries there is a legal obligation to file this kind of information. In most of Europe, for example, annual sales and number of employees can be found in the company accounts of all but the smallest businesses. In the US, public companies file similar data via the SEC and this data is freely available at the SEC web site (http://www.sec.gov). Even where such information is not available from company registries (for example Companies House, in the UK), company information agencies such as Dun & Bradstreet usually obtain such data as part of their overall business reporting operations. Thus D&B reports typically include year established, number of employees, annual sales over 3 years (allowing you to get a growth rate) and more.

Market share information will need to be calculated using knowledge of the total sales of all your competitors – although there are frequently detailed market and industry reports available which include estimates of total market size. From this, the market share of any individual company can often be estimated. Such reports are held in the major business libraries and can usually be purchased online from the producer. It is also possible to download selected parts from host database companies such as Factiva, Lexis-Nexis or Dialog.

The only questionable information is budget information - which may be internal to the company and not readily available. (I'm assuming you mean internal departmental budgets or purchasing/investment budgets). It is, however, sometimes possible to assess investment budgets by identifying purchases and investments over a fixed period using details held in the cash flow statements and balance sheets filed in the publicly available sources.

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Quick Tip: Consumers

Quick Tip

Consumers are statistics. Customers are people. (Stanley Marcus)

How do you view your customers?

Do you see them as simply profit-streams, or customer reference numbers or do you genuinely care about them. If the former, how do you ensure that your customers stay happy with your services, when you don't recognise their individuality and humanity.

Just think how you would feel if you were treated like a number, especially if you could switch to a competitor who made you feel special!

 

Books - Co-opertition

Recommended Book

Smart Services
Co-opetition : 1. a revolutionary mindset that redefines competition and cooperation; 2. the game theory strategy that's changing the game of business
Adam M Brandenburger & Barry J Nalebuff
Buy UK £ or US$

Read our review of this book

Michael Porter described this book as "the most important single contribution" in taking his original ideas on ways of achieving competitive advantage forward. The book is easy to read, inexpensive and contains numerous ideas to help reshape and challenge thought processes. The writers develop Porter's 5 forces model, and introduce a sixth force. They emphasise the strategic advantages of co-operation and look at game theory as a way of approaching business strategy.

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For more recommendations visit our book selection.

 

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Our services in competitive intelligence research, competitor analysis and CI training will help you integrate and use competitive and marketing intelligence in your business, strategic and marketing planning processes. Whether you need research, advice or training, our mission is to support our clients so that they achieve their growth objectives.

For the best UK & European competitive intelligence and competitor analysis services, contact us today.

AWARE Phone numbers: 0845 430 9125 (International: +44 20 8954 9121). Fax: 0845 430 9126 (International: +44 20 8954 2102)

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Last page / site update: Friday, 12 March 2010

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