Keeping a Record of Your Research
At the beginning of your research, you may not know what information is important and what is not. Create a form you fill-out as you work that tracks which companies you have found, contact information for the company, the company Web site, where you found information about the company (directory, database, Web search), and some of the details you felt were important about them.
You can create this form on a piece of letter-size paper using a rule and pencil and then make copies of it. Make the copies on three-hole punch paper so you can keep them in a three-ring binder. Buy some alphabetical index dividers at the office supply store or the office supply area of a large drugstore or grocery store. Use these to file your individual company reports to make them easier to find as the numbers grow.
If you have a computer or access to a computer, you can use word processor or a spreadsheet to create the form. A spreadsheet is great for this kind of document because you will be able to sort the records by the various columns of information you collect.
