Mark asked for some more information about the Mergent reports I had shared.

In 2008 the annual subscription was $2,500 a year. Access to the reports is limited to in library use although I can email the reports to customers as well. Currently the reports are accessed between 40-50 times a month.

They can be used for a variety of questions. There is a local program to help new Canadians who want to start their own businesses. The instructor includes a visit to the library as part of the program. The students have to complete a market research project on their future business. The market trends and industry profile information are a starting point for the students to become familiar with the Canadian market.

A question the staff are sometimes asked is what are the top ten companies in an industry. The reports include this information as well as some stock market figures. If someone wanted to diversify their portfolio they could use the reports to learn more about an industry and use the information to choose a stock.

I've also recommended people read about the American trends as well as the Canadian since the American industries are usually implementing new technology before the Canadian industries and businesses can plan for future developments.