Both market size and market share held by competitors are key factors when assessing the competitive environment. Keep in mind that there is no single source of market size and market share data. Market information is usually pieced together from various sources and is not often readily available for niche or emerging industries. One strategy is to combine a competitor's name or a comparable, established industry with the term market share in article databases or read market research reports. You will need to identify and describe your market – who your customers are and what the demand is for your products and services.
Library Resources
Access to the following sources may be available through your local public or academic library. For information on how to obtain a library card, and for additional information on using libraries in BC, please visit our Getting Access to Library Resources page.
ABI/INFORM Collection
How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.
Created by ProQuest this database contains full-text articles from over 1,000 business magazines and journals that track business conditions, trends, management techniques, corporate strategies, and industry-specific topics.
- Saxena, H. (2016). Put me in sync, coach! Ivey Business Journal Online, 1.
"Coaching works because coaches can aggregate feedback from all stakeholders and objectively play it back as an outsourced provider of absolute candour, something that is not typically available from reporting lines (up or down the line). At the end of the day, of course, success depends upon the coachee's willingness to be coached."
- Mihiotis, A., & Argirou, N. (2016). Coaching: From challenge to opportunity. The Journal of Management Development, 35(4), 448-463.
The purpose of this paper is to present coaching opportunities and applications in the workplace as well as to point out that organizations that want to leverage the benefits of coaching must be mature enough to have certain processes and practices in place.
Business Source Ultimate
How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource. Otherwise, contact your local library to see if they provide access.
Includes financial data, books, videos, company profiles, SWOT analyses, industry profiles, country reports, market research reports and case studies. Also includes information on industry trends, forecasts, outlooks, competitors, how to run a specific business and much more.
- Scott, A., & Scotton, N. (2016). What's your potential? Coaching helps clients be the best they can be - but to do what? And in what ways does it manifest itself in clients, organisations and in us, the coaches?. Coaching At Work, 11(4), 21.
Topics covered include the benefits that people and organizations can get from coaching, the way in which coaching manifest itself in clients, organizations and in coaches, and how potential should be measured.
- Fuller, G. (2016). Internal coaching: if the shoe fits. Coaching At Work, 11(4), 31-35.
The article focuses on the growing popularity of internal coaching as more companies are recognizing the value of having highly trained internal coaches. Topics covered include some notable companies using internal coaches, the positive outlook for in-house coaches, and the pros and cons of in-house coaching.
- Merrick, L. (2016). What is this: mentoring or coaching?. Coaching At Work, 11(4), 55.
The article offers a look at a trend wherein some mentoring programmes are adopting a more tangible coaching approach under the guise of mentoring. Topics covered the characteristics of coaching/mentoring programmes, such as the shorter timescale for the programme, and the pros and cons of the approach.
eMarketer
How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource. Or, contact your local public or academic library for their access details.
Global market research and trend analysis database that focuses on Internet, e-business, online marketing, media, and emerging technologies.
- Greatest Benefit of Receiving Business Coaching* According to Small-Business Owners Worldwide**, Sep 2015 (% of respondents)
UBC Library Business Databases
How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you may have access to business databases through the David Lam Management Research Library and Canaccord Learning Commons through the links below.
Full Listing By Title or Full Listing By Subject
There are two different ways to identify databases: Use "by title" if you already know the name; otherwise you can search the list "by subject" to find starting places for undertaking market research, finding articles or researching companies. To learn more about how you can access library resources if you are a community user or temporary visitor, check out the UBC Library Community Users & Visitors Guide. Community users and temporary visitors may have additional access restrictions to specific databases because of license agreements.
IBISWorld Industry Reports
How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.
IBISWorld research is an independent, professional publisher of high-quality market research reports. These reports analyze the underlying structure and external forces that drive an industry.
Try Primary Research
The main point of this guide is to introduce you to a wide range of secondary market research resources but keep in mind there is great value in analyzing other information including:
- Advertising, blogs and sales brochures
- Your personal network and employees
- Direct observation and interviews