Your local library is the best place to start your research. Reference librarians can help you find the resources you need, and they can often give you valuable Internet searching tips. If your local library doesn't have a good business reference section or doesn't subscribe to online databases, call a nearby university or local community college and ask if you can get a day pass or an online password to do some research. They should accommodate you, particularly if you're an alumna and/or a local resident.

The good news is that with the Internet and broadband connections, you can do much of your research from the comfort of your home computer. With a current library card, you can access online business databases from your local library. Libraries all over the country allow local residents to use subscription-only databases from home.

Free Library Databases

Reference USA is an indispensable free database, and most libraries in North America subscribe to it. This database contains information on more than 13 million businesses and 120 million U.S. households. You can access thousands of listings from yellow pages and business white pages, corporate annual reports, and chamber of commerce data, plus a wide variety of business and trade magazines. The database is continually updated, so the data you collect will be current.

Once you log into the database, you can easily do a custom search to find caterers in your area. In a matter of seconds, you'll get a printable list of competitors. You can sort them by zip code, sales volume, or number of employees. You'll get the company name, phone number, and location.

Knowing the North American Industry Classification System code for the type of businesses you're looking for will help. Your librarian will have a book that lists these codes. The code for catering is 722320.

Other popular databases include Predicast's PROMPT, which allows you to do a keyword search and produces relevant articles. The EBSCO Regional Business News database also allows you to search by keyword and will allow you to print articles from hundreds of publications in PDF format, right from the original publication.

By using these databases, you'll be able to research your competition, keep track of what they're doing, and learn about their owners. If you do your homework, you'll be better able to position your business and defend it from other caterers.

Useful Directories

Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies lists companies by name, geographic location, and industry. The D&B Million Dollar Directory is also a very helpful volume. You can search by industry or zero in on particular companies to find quarterly sales figures and employment information. Both of these directories will give you a better picture of the catering market in your area.

Census Data

Visiting the government's census Web site, www.census.gov, can be very helpful, if somewhat confusing. You can find the population count for your area as well as information on small businesses across the country at http://factfinder.census.gov.