Business Research: company information

The most common form of business research is company research, for example to:

• prepare for a job interview
• find contact information or a description of a company of interest
• find out if a (competing) company has been in the news
• find financial information about a company you want to do business with.

Depending on the type of information you are looking for, there are all kinds of databases that can give you company information. A list of databases where you can find company information is given at the bottom of the page.

A big advantage: All companies are registered with the Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel in Dutch) or an international register similar to it. Companies are obliged to report certain information, but what they have to report depends on the company's form, size and legal form.

Information on public companies and public corporations is easiest to obtain, as they have an obligation to share more information with the public. With other companies, it is often more difficult to find information. But the tips and databases below will help you on your way.

Company website
Who knows more ins and outs about the company than the employees themselves? This is one of the most important sources of information. Use the company's official name to get to the right site. And maybe there is a parent company? This can also be interesting to research.

Search within the company's website for the following terms:

• About/ About the company: to read their mission statement, or see a product description
• News/News: for relevant press releases
• Investor Information/ Investor: annual reports/ financial statements

Keep in mind that contributors describe the company from a positive, promotional perspective.

In the databases
In the block below you can quickly go to the databases where you can find company information. REACH you can use to find Dutch companies' KvK data, and Nexis Uni is the news database where you can quickly find when the company was in the news. There are many more databases like this, all with their own focus. Use the Database Help in the menu if you want to be helped on your way.

External sources

• AnnualReports: provides a comprehensive overview of annual reports with direct access.
• EDGAR: This SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) database provides free public access to company information to easily research a company's financial information and activities.
• AFM: The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) collects annual and half-yearly financial reports of a lot of Dutch listed companies.
• ResponsibilityReports: offers a comprehensive overview of responsibility reports with instant access.

Please note that small companies or newly established companies may be excluded from the search results in the databases. In this case, look for a website or news articles.

Why company information?

Searching strategically

Databases

Links to check out