Useful Websites for Market Research
and Competitive Intelligence

Source: Marketrends

The following valuable information is presented by Julie Barnes, Marketing Director of Smith & Howard.

Information on Prospective Clients:

www.zoominfo.com. Before making a practice development call, enter the name of the CEO or other person at a prospective client.

www.selectoryonline.com. This site enables you to target prospective clients by inputting selected parameters. Sometimes you will be able to find the name of the CPA firm, law firm, and bank.

www.ibisworld.com. This site contains a wealth of information on nearly every industry, including five-year forecasts.

www.centerformarketintelligence.com. Market Intelligence Centers provide an overview of selected industries and business trends, with a detailed picture of market segments, issues, breaking news, companies, and government regulatory actions.

www.bizjournals.com. This national business journal site features local business news from around the nation updated throughout the day, top business stories from American City's print editions, industry-specific news from more than 40 industries, advice columns, and a full menu of tools to help business owners and operators manage their businesses more successfully. There's also easy navigation to each of the 42 local business sites.

Competitive Intelligence
Visit competitors—Web sites regularly to find out what they are doing—niches, staffing, etc.

Information on Current Clients
Visit your clients—Web sites to learn about their new projects, staff acquisitions, trends in their industries, etc. They will be impressed.

Also visit Websites of trade associations to which your clients belong.

From Marketrends, March/April 2006, p. 12. Association for Accounting Marketing, Inc., Kansas City MO, 816-221-1206, www.accountingmarketing.org.