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DO YOUR HOMEWORK

For high-tech companies, I also check the San Jose Mercury News
(www.mercurycenter.com).

LOCAL BUSINESS JOURNALS

Most large metropolitan areas also have business periodicals focused
on local business companies and activities. CEO Express has a link
to some of the major business journal publishers including Crain’s
New York (www.crainsny.com) and Crain’s Chicago (www.crainschi
cagobusiness.com). For more information, search for business jour-
nals in the community of the company you want to research.

TRADE PUBLICATIONS

There is no industry so obscure that it does not have at least one
trade publication reporting on the products, people, and other devel-
opments within the industry. These publications offer the deepest
information about the company and the industry in which it oper-
ates. They provide much more focus and detail than general business
publications. In the past, trade publications were often difficult or
expensive to obtain, especially for people outside the industry. But
now most of them are online, making it much easier to retrieve very
focused articles on the company you are interested in.

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

America is a nation of joiners. It seems that every activity has formed
an association to promote its interests. These associations exist in
large part to educate the public about the good works of the mem-
bers of the association. You are a member of the public, so don’t
be shy about asking for help. Many associations now have websites,
and the depth of their resources can be stunning. A powerful refer-
ence, found in most libraries, is the Encyclopedia of Associations, a
directory of associations with contact information. Some associa-
tions require membership to access specific resources, but even then

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