Business Registers

How to use D&B Business Registers

For ease of access and speed of use the D&B Business Registers contain information in three distinct sections as described below.

1. Businesses by Town & County

The businesses are listed geographically in the order of town, within county, within region.

Use this section to:

• identify sales prospects by town or country
• contact local employers
• compile targeted prospect lists
• find local suppliers

2. Businesses by Industry

For indexing purposes this directory uses the US Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code system. US SIC Codes divide all economic activity into ten major groups. These business segments are represented by the first two digits of the SIC Codes:

Each line of business is categorised within one of these ten divisions and assigned a code. The first two digits of this code describe the general line of business. The third and fourth digits pinpoint a specific business activity, e.g.

• 22 Manufacturing - Textile mill products
• 227 Manufacturing - Floor coverings
• 2272 Manufacturing - Tufted carpets, rugs

D&B Business Registers and other D&B directories are cross referenced by US SIC Code.

To find the right US SIC Code, simply turn to the alphabetical index at the end of these preliminary pages.

Alternatively, if you need an explanation of a particular US SIC Code, it may be found in the numerical index.

This section lists all the businesses under their appropriate SIC code.

This industrial cross reference can be used to:

• locate sales prospects by line of business
• identify local suppliers
• approach employers within an industry
• select regional distributors

3. Businesses by Name

This section gives the full legal name of the business whether it be a public limited company, private limited company, partnership or proprietorship.

Use this section to:

• find the local entry for a known company
• differentiate between businesses with similar names
• assign telesales territories alphabetically
• check the correct legal name of a customer
• investigate potential employers