Long before Wikipedia, Hoovers served as a treasure trove of free company profiles. Today, Dun & Bradstreet's Hoovers has expanded its research to include even more important pieces of business information, such as revenue, locations and an organization’s corporate hierarchy.
Whether you're researching competitor companies or trying to build a list of leads, Hoovers has a number of options. Some basic information is offered for free, while Hoovers charges for more targeted data and reports. The company's Lead Builder allows users to search for businesses by location, industry or size. For size searches, you can use a series of different matrices, from number of employees to annual sales. Users are charged according to what type of report they wish to generate and how much information is included. Reports on individual companies typically start at $29 while research reports on more than 600 industries—including sector challenges, trends and executive insight—start at $129.
Hoovers also offers its IPO Scorecard, a report that breaks down information on all of the companies that file initial public offerings each quarter. And for those looking for additional insight, Hoovers offers advice in the form of research reports and white papers on trends and best practices. Some report topics include "Overlooked Ways for Uncovering Top-Notch Prospects" and "How Do I Keep My Technology Costs Down?" The company's Small Business Expert page even includes podcasts and videos on pertinent topics.
Hoovers gets much of its information from third-party sources, but it also maintains a team of in-house researchers. Subscribers get more company profiles, information and list-building tools. The Hoovers Web site features a free tour and support is offered via phone and live chat.