Merlin Scott Industry Reports contain analysis of trends, rankings and industry averages together with the latest financial data for all the firms in the sector.

Good decisions can only be based on the latest directly relevant rankings, and industry averages:

*
• Market Share and Key Performance Indicators are provided for each industry sector
• Easily add all relevant firms to the group
• Use the searchable database to focus on exactly the relevant firms with benchmarking averages and rankings recalculated to reflect your choices
• Each industry benchmarking report is automatically updated weekly

Each industry analysis report is an overview of who is in the sector and how they are doing, containing:

*
• All the firms in the industry sector in a single publication
• Up to date industry rankings and trends making it easy to spot the best prospects
• Contact information for key directors and shareholders
• Exportable current data to enhance your sales prospect database

The industry reports are designed to quickly produce relevant shortlists by making it easy to:

*
• Identify firms based on financial criteria such as sales or profits
• Identify UK firms based on geographic criteria
• Export mailing lists of key shareholders
• Segment the industry analysis using the searchable database to produce customised industry analysis reports which are automatically kept current as new data emerges

Merlin Scott Associates specialises in producing carefully researched Industry Analysis Reports covering 1000+ different sectors of UK industry. Crucially since many customers use our reports for industry benchmarking, we do not rely on SIC classifications. A good deal of our research effort goes into making sure we have just the relevant firms in each industry analysis. Many of our reports drill down to focused sectors in a way impossible with SIC codes.

We can also complete bespoke analysis reports and databases focused on the latest data for the relevant companies customers suggest. This could be your customers, competitors or potential acquisition targets. It is inexpensive to combine reports across sectors and many of our regular customers have established valuable private lists in each of these areas.

Our aim is to quickly respond to your requirements providing the latest industry analysis report in a format that best suits your needs. We value our customers some of whom have been with us for more than 20 years. During this time the Merlin Scott service has evolved into todays offering of eBooks, Books and Searchable Databases. Many of the best reports in our library of 1000+ titles continue to benefit from regular customer suggestions ensuring the listing remains focused.

But don't just take our word for it see what some of our customers have said - I hope it convinces you to give us a try if you are looking for focused industry benchmarking, sales prospecting or to buy/sell a company:

• "Thank you very much. You should advertise your "customer service" - it's the best of any company I work with." - Mark A... Chairman
• "It's now VERY, VERY good, brilliant in fact. How wonderful it is to deal with such a responsive company (you!)." - Chris W... Executive Chairman
• "If you require any feedback from me - I think it is bloody brilliant" - Michael S... Management Accountant
• "Marvellous product. Congratulations. Very pleased to know of this resource, which I will definitely use again." - Kenneth M... Head of Forensic Accountancy
• "Very many thanks for this - a wonderful product + superb support." - Neil M... Partner
• "Thanks Niel for all your help - managed to get it to work over the weekend - a quite phenomenal tool - well done!" - Jonathan L... Director

• "I now have the correct database up & running. I must say, that I am very impressed with the level of analysis and love how easy it is to rank companies by turnover; profit-etc. I am sure that I will have fun looking and comparing the results of our main competitors. Thanks for your assistance." - Stephen D... Managing Director
• "The report was received yesterday. I haven't had an opportunity to look through it as yet but impressions were that it was a very thorough and well presented report which will prove very useful for our traders and financial people over the coming year, Thank you for despatching this report for my attention so quickly" - Alan T... Chief Executive
• "Thank you very much for the update. I would also like to compliment you on your report. The original made fascinating reading over the Christmas period! It is unusual to get a report specifically for Land Surveyors, normally we get included with Surveyors & Valuers." - Ian L... Operations Manager
• "We have begun working through the Report on insurance intermediaries and it looks excellent." - Rupert M... Managing Director
• "I am currently writing a business plan for a new business I intend to start in the next few months. I found your reports really helpful and the feature to search company details on the updating section is great because I did not only see how we are doing against the large companies but also against some of the local companies I know" - Etienne B... Managing Director
• "Many thanks for this, much appreciated. I think there is much we can do to support the premier source of data for our industry" - Paul M... Director
• "Excellent. Great service." - David C... Director
• "We found the Merlin Associates Searchable Database and reports extremely beneficial to our business in a number of ways - both when starting up and in several years subsequently. When researching a new market prior to starting up it is relatively easy to acquire cost information. However, assessing likely sales turnover is more difficult. Once a business is up and running it is also easy to muddle along and assume that your operation is achieving the best performance it can (even assuming you can be bothered to measure it) - after all, you're all working hard and things are going "well"", aren't they?
  
  The Searchable Database is a real eye-opener in both situations.
  
  Firstly, for a relatively modest cost you can find and download most of the data relevant specifically to your industry with ease (turnover - and turnover estimates where turnover data isn't present in accounts), quick ratios, stock turn ratios, etc, etc. Secondly, you can compare both competitors and suppliers grapically across a whole host of financial indicators. You can assess how an outside organisation might rank your efficiency (scary) and rank yourself against your competitors across virtually all known financial "indicators" (sometimes even scarier). You can see whether competitors are improving or declining, create your own lists of competitors or assess across the whole industry (in our case some 700+ businesses). You can monitor these factors across time, and with the new credit assessment feature, even begin to spot worrying trends amongst some suppliers. This is about as good as it can get - and you know it's based on hard, factual (legally binding) data rather than supposition and here-say. Of course, you still have to realise the limitations of accounting nuances, and be able to "read between the lines". I'd also recommend the upgrades, as new companies come onto the scene they are automatically added to the list for assessment and analysis.
  
  All in all, for me its money well spent." - Nic W... Managing Director