MKTG 374 - Business to Business Marketing

Industry Codes

To use some sources you will need a NAICS or SIC code for your industry.

North American Industry Classification System
The NAIC System assigns numerical codes to industries from two to six digits. Shorter codes represent broader industry sectors. Be sure to read the full description of the NAICS code, as it may include a broader array of products/services than you might assume.

More info on NAICS is available at  NAICS FAQ.

 

Standard Industrial Classification Manual (at OSHA site)
The SIC system assigns numerical codes to industries from two to four digits. Shorter codes represent broader industry sectors. Be sure to read the full description of the SIC code, as it often includes a broader array of products/services than you might assume.

1. Identify the NAICS Code for your Industry

2. Where are the potential B2B customers are in Michigan?

County Business Patterns

1. For today, use the View Data in Tables.

2. Select Michigan and submit (Go!)

3. On the next screen in the Areaname pulldown you can choose the entire state or an individual county - today we will choose any county to start.
   (Change from Michigan to one of the counties.)

4. Choose Detail for Manufacturing to expand the list of NAICS codes starting with 31-33

5. Browse down the list for your code

or use your browser's find on this page search function (Ctrl+F)

6. Scan across the table to see the total number of employees, total payroll amounts, and number of establishments for this industry in the specific county.

7. Use the Compare button to retrieve a table that compares all Michigan counties for this industry.

 

*Note: In some cases you will see a letter code in a field instead of a payroll number. This is because the Census Bureau will withhold info at this level if there are so few companies in the county that the info would compromise the confidentiality of a specific company.

3. Create a list of prospects & get limited info on them.

Steps:


1. Enter DemographicsNow (it can take minute for database to load)

3. Choose Businesses/people tab

3. Choose Business Custom Search

4. Use Geography Menu to set your report for companies in Michigan

5. Use Business Type menu to designate your NAICS code

6. Search to get list of companies for that industry on the State of Michigan.
    Know that the sales numbers given here are just estimates, not actual figures.

7. To look for more details on a company (or companies), check the box near the company name and use the details button.
     Use the back button to go back to the list.

8. To see a map of the companies, first "check" all the companies using the box near the header Company Name. Then, use the View on Map button.

    Use the mapping tools to change the look of the map (unchecking Geography Selection and Thematic Layer may make it look better).

    If you want to print your map, use the Export Map function to create a PDF version.

This database is available free to Michigan Citizens via the Michigan Electronic Library at mel.org. You may want to explore this extremely useful tool that can be used to create statistical tables, company lists, and custom maps.

4. Gather more background info on the industry.

The sources below can be used to gather background info on your industry, such as industry overviews, articles, industry associations, or market share information. Business Insights is also available to Michigan citizens via mel.org and Gateway to Associations is a free web site.

Optional: Use D&B to create a list of prospects & get limited info on them.

Dun & BradStreet Million Dollar Directory


Note: You need to hit the Continue button to get to the search screen, then:

1. Choose Advanced Search

2. First we establish search criteria, then we execute the search. We want to find a list of companies in your industry that are located in Michigan.

    Choose location criteria from left menu.

3. You will have to navigate difficult menus till you have been able to add Michigan to the criteria.

4. Note that the criteria will get listed in the yellow box for current criteria.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 to add the industry to the criteria. (use Industry instead of location)

6. When both criteria are set up, Run Search.

7. This should generate a list of companies. The list could be more than one "page" long.

8. Clicking the company name will get you more information on the company.

Did you find more companies than the number given in County Business Patterns?
This can happen! The Census Bureau counts an establishment only in it's main line of business. D&B often adds multiple NAICS codes to a company record--so you will also get companies where your industry is a secondary concern of the company (such as an auto parts manufacturer that also makes some aircraft parts.)

More ways to Research

  • Last Updated: Mar 18, 2020 11:16 AM
  • URL: https://guides.emich.edu/mktg374
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