Types of Profiles:
You can generate four types of profiles using Benchmarks for Your Business.

• Industry Profile: This profile shows the industry averages on each benchmark in comparison to the US average for all companies in the database. If there are less than five companies with the SIC code for the search you conducted, the industry profile rolls up to the next highest level. For instance, if you search on Iron Ore (1011) there are only two companies. So, the industry profile in this case roles up to the next hierarchical level which is SIC 1000. The SIC code of the industry, the name of the industry and the number of companies included are shown at the top of the profile.
• Company Profile: This profile shows how a specific company rates on each benchmark in comparison to the industry average. The companies values for each benchmark are based on the most recently published annual data. The publication date for the data is shown at the top of the company profile. The industry is determined by the primary SIC code of the company and the industry average is calculated for all the companies with that SIC code. If there are less than five companies with the SIC code for the search you conducted, the industry profile rolls up to the next highest level. The SIC used in the industry average is shown at the top of the profile including the name of the industry and the number of companies included in the industry average.
• Company Comparison Profile: This profile shows the benchmark ratings for up to four different companies. The company names and SIC codes are shown at the top of each column in the profile. Instructions for doing a Company Comparison Profile are presented later.
• Industry Benchmark Ranking: This profile shows how the companies in an industry rank on a specific benchmark. In this profile companies are listed in order from highest value to lowest value. While a high value is typically positive, there are some benchmarks were a high value by be negative. For example, it is better for Days Sales Outstanding to be low rather than high. The name of the industry and the number of firms in the industry are presented at the top of the profile.

Searching the Database:
Depending on which type of profile you are trying to generate you can search by company name, ticker symbol, SIC code, or SIC key word. In addition, you can easily move from one profile to another by clinking on hyperlinks for the company name, benchmark, or SIC code. Each type of search is described below.

• Industry Profile Search: In the Industry SIC box enter the SIC code for the industry you are interested in and click on Go. This will generate an industry profile for the SIC you entered. If you are not sure of the SIC code for an industry, you can do a search by key word or browse the SIC codes. In the keyword search box enter a word that describes the industry and click Go. This will generate a list of all SIC codes with the keyword in the name. Click on the SIC code next to the industry name to generate a profile for that industry. If you're not sure which is the correct industry, but know the names of some companies in the industry, click on <list of companies>. This will show a list of all companies with that SIC code. Clicking on any of those companies will generate a company profile. You can also browse the SIC codes.
• Company Profile Search: You can search for Company Profiles by ticker symbol, company name or SIC code. In the Company box, click the button to indictate which type of search you want to conduct and enter the information in the box. Then click on Go. This will take you to a page with a list of companies that match the information you entered. Click on the desired company to generate a Company Profile.If you click on one of the benchmarks you can generate an Industry Ranking Profile for that benchmark.
• Industry Ranking Search: You can get an industry ranking for any benchmark. To do that enter an industry SIC code in the the search box and select from the drop down menu one of the 37 benchmarks. If you click one of the companies list in the Industry Ranking Profile, you will get a company profile that includes all the benchmarks.

Making Company Comparisons:
Besides comparing a company with the industry average, you can also compare it with other companies/competitors. To do this, first generate a Company Profile for the focal company. Then click on the button that says to add company to comparison. Repeat this process for each of the companies you want to compare with the focal company. You can include up to four companies in a Company Comparison Profile. Use the delete link to remove companies from the Company Comparison Profile. The number of companies saved is shown on the search box. To generate a comparison profile just click on the identified button (i.e., Show Comparison).

Instructions and Benchmark Glossary:
Included in each profile are hyperlinks to definitions for each benchmark and instructions for each type of search. To see a defintion or instructions just click on the icon . The Benchmark Glossary explains the benchmark, provides guidance in how to interpret each benchmark, and explains how each benchmark was calculated. You can print out the Benchmark Glossary and these Instructions in PDF format.

Printing and Downloading Profiles:
You can print out all profiles in PDF format or download the profile to an Excel spreadsheet. The options are presented at the bottom of each profile. You can also print out the Instructions and Benchmark Glossary in PDF format.