Most business owners have a general idea of the industry in which they operate, but I often get the feeling that they operate somewhat blindly.
There's a service called First Research that connects the dots for business owners in that they provide comprehensive industry information. Armed with useful information, business owners get a better idea of averages, trends, and insight that they wouldn't otherwise have.
I'm impressed with the level of detail that owners can get. For any industry, sections include an overview, competitive landscape, industry employment growth, trends, developments, a financial benchmark against an average size company, trade associations, links, etc.
The service is really geared for small businesses who need the information but simply don't have the time to invest in researching the information. The truth is that the information is so good I don't know if someone could even find the information that's this organized in a reasonable time frame. Each industry profile is $129...in my opinion a good investment.
Do you currently use the service? What has been your experience?
