Reference USA Guide
Reference USAcontains current, basic information for over 12 million U.S. businesses, including publicly-traded companies, private companies and branches of these companies; service industries and manufacturing industries are included. The database also includes other types of entities, such as nonprofit organizations and government agencies. To access Reference USA from the UWM Libraries' home page, click on Find Articles: Resources A-Z, click on “R” and then on Reference USA. On the next screen, click "Search" under  , then click "Start Search Now." Search CorpTech via Reference USA for technology-based companies.
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SEARCHING
There are two search methods: the Quick Search and the Custom Search.
Quick Search
The Quick Search is the default screen. Fill in one or more of the boxes and click on the Search Now! button. It is not necessary to fill in more than one box.
- Company Name - type all or part of a company's name.
- City - type all or part of a city's name.
- State - select a state from the drop-down menu or leave the selection at All.
- Phone (10 digits) – do not include any spaces when typing the 10-digit phone number.
Custom Search
To conduct a more detailed search, click on the Custom Search tab. The following screen will appear:
- Click on the box(es) next to one or more search criteria. For example, to generate a list of companies in the same zip code in the same industry, click in the box next to Primary SIC and also next to ZIP Code.
- Click on Create Search Form.
- Next, a search form will be generated based on the selected criteria. Fill in the appropriate boxes, e.g., a 5- or 3-digit zip code and a specific SIC code.
- Click on Search Now!
- Sometimes it is necessary to further refine one or more of the search criteria. In this situation, a Search Refinement screen will appear. Complete the needed information.
- Click on Search Now!
RESULTS
A list of all companies, if any, that meet the search criteria will appear. The list will include the company's name, address and phone number and, if appropriate, a linkage arrow to indicate a relationship between parent companies, subsidiaries and branches.
To view more information on a particular company, click on the company name. This provides a link to the Detailed Listing, which includes estimated sales, SIC code(s) and other information.
PRINTING/SAVING
To print or save the results, place a check mark in the box(es) next to the company's name(s). Click on the All button to put check marks next to every company on the list.
Note: Only 50 records can be printed or saved at one time. If more than 50 records are marked, an error message will be displayed.
- To print:
- Click on the
button. For Level of Detail, select either Summary (basic name and address information) or Detailed (full information on the company). Click on the gray Print button to display the results in a print-ready format and then follow the print instructions given. Individual records can be printed from the entry by using the print command on the Web browser bar.
- To save to a disk:
- Click on the
button. Next, choose the appropriate File Format, Platform and Level of Detail. Click on the gray Download button. Bring up the Save As… box. Insert a disk into the disk drive. Use the drop-down menu to change the Save in: location to the a:\ drive. Name the file and click on Save. Files are downloaded as Excel files.
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