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Ann Cullen, Knowledge and Library Services, February 2009

Using Online Research for Analyzing Opportunities

ZenG Business Plan

– Resources Located

First consider general trends

Where would you go to find information on key trends and disruptors that

signal opportunities or threats? Resources that I used for this:

Article Databases• Factiva • ABI/Proquest

Factiva - Search strategy used - wc>500 and hlp=((landfill gas*) or (commercial grade waste gasification) or (lfg power))

ABI/Proquest - Search strategy used - (landfill gas*) OR lfg OR (waste gasification)

Article Searching Tips

What I learned while searching

• Common term for this technology is

Landfill Gas (LFG)• Needed to include a review of waste

management industry

Analyze the relevant industries

S&P NetAdvantage Industry Survey - "Environmental and Waste Management" October 2008

S&P Netadvantage Industry Survey - "Electric Utilities" August 2008

Thomson Investext - "How to Play Obama's Green Theme" 1/16/09, Ben Isaacson, Scotia Capital

Locate Market Research

• MarketResearch.com - "Renewable Energy Investment in the U.S." Packaged Facts, 11/1/2007

• Tablebase – “Green price stability: new approaches account for the economic benefits of renewables” Source: Public Utilities

Fortnightly, 147 (1): 42, January 2009.

Then lots of additional great data for free on web

• Government sponsored websites• Non-profit initiatives• Grass-roots community efforts• Industry Association sponsored

Examples of interesting ones found

Landfills/Waste Management:• International Landfill Inventory and Economic Data –

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/economics/international.html

• How Landfills work - http://science.howstuffworks.com/landfill8.htm Landfill Gasification:• Landfill Methane Outreach Program - http://www.epa.gov/landfill/index.htm

• Landfill Gas Web Site - http://www.landfill-gas.com/

Cleantech/Renewables:• Energy Information Administration - Renewable and Alternative Fuels • Data - http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html

Examples of interesting ones found (cont.)

Regulatory:• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)

- http://www.naruc.org/about.cfm• FERC Energy Innovations Group –

http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/energy-innovations.asp

• Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) – http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm?EE=0&RE=1 – State by statereview of renewable energy legislation and programs in the US

More resources listed on class hand-out.

AEC Systems Business Plan

– Resources Located

First consider general trends

Where would you go to find information on key trends and disruptors that

signal opportunities or threats? Resource that I used:

Article Database• Business Source Complete• ABI/Proquest

Search strategy used – “construction industry" and software

What I learned while searching

• AEC not a commonly used acronym, found searching

on terms “construction or building industry” was best

way to target relevant industry overview• Terms "Tablet PC" more commonly used than

"Tablet-based PC"

Analyze the relevant industries

Business Source Complete - "Construction & Engineering Industry Profile: United States”, Jul 2008, Datamonitor

S&P NetAdvantage Industry Survey - "Computers: Software",

Oct. 2008, Zaineb Bokhari

• S&P NetAdvantage Industry Survey – “Homebuilding”, Jan. 2009,

Kenneth Leon

• First Research - "Commercial Construction Contractors"

Locate Market Research

Tablet PC:• Forrester – “Key Wireless Trends That Will Shape Enterprise

Mobility In 2008” February 8, 2008, by Chris Silva, Benjamin Gray

with Simon Yates, Rachel A. Dines

• Frost & Sullivan – “World Quarterly Retail Systems Outlook on

POS; Handheld Terminals and Tablet PC Markets” - Q4 2007,

11 Jun 2008

Non-residential Construction:• Onesource - "Nonresidential Building Construction" Freedonia,

June 2008

Didn’t find as much data for free on web

• Different sort of industry

• Not directly connected to a public agenda

Examples of data found

U.S. Housing/Building Statistics:• 2009 US Statistical Abstract - Construction and Housing –

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/construction_housing.html

Trade Association Websites:• American Institute of Architects - http://www.aia.org/• American Council of Engineering Companies - http://www.acec.org/• Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - http://www.abc.org/• Associated General Contractors of America - http://www.agc.org/

More resources listed on class hand-out.

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Still need help?

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Thank You!

(Any questions?)

Ann Cullen – acullen@hbs.edu