SMR Information Solutions

We research, analyze and summarize information for businesses so they can make more informed business decisions.

Think of newspaper reporters. They research a topic, interview a few people, and then put all of that information together and write up a report. They write for the public.

We do essentially the same thing. But instead of summarizing information for the public as a newspaper employee, we summarize information for individuals as independent contractors. Hiring us is like having your own personal business research analyst who can research any topic, analyze all the information, and then summarize it in your choice of format. But you only pay us when we work for you!

In other words, we provide customized research services for each and every client.

Many independent researchers write lengthy reports with an executive summary, table of contents, charts, graphs and illustrations. But we can also give an oral presentation at your place of business. We can even deliver the results in a webinar or other online meeting.

You may wonder how we research information. What resources do we use? Could you access the same resources yourself for free?

In many cases, no. We have pay-as-you-go/pay-per-view access to databases of information that are normally available only by subscription.

Databases like the Foundation Directory Online (FDO), produced by the Foundation Center. FDO is a searchable online directory of foundations that provide grant money. Go to the Foundation Center’s website and look at their subscription plans.

The Foundation Center has five different subscription plans for accessing FDO. The Basic Plan is the cheapest at $195 per year, but it doesn’t give you very much information. It doesn’t even cover many foundations – only the top 10,000!

If you want as much information as possible about all foundations, you would need the Professional Plan at $1,295 per year.

But what if you only search for grants once or twice a year? Would it really be cost-effective to pay $1,300 a year?

Another way to understand what we do is to think about subscribing to HBO to watch movies on your TV. If an HBO subscription is $30 a month, it wouldn’t be cost-effective to subscribe if you only watch two movies a month. What if you don’t watch any movies in July because you’re on vacation?

If you don’t watch many movies, it would be better to use Pay Per View (PPV) and only pay when you actually watch a movie. Just like going to the movies!

So when it comes to movies, only you can decide whether an HBO subscription or PPV is right for you.

And when it comes to getting critical business information, only you can decide whether you should subscribe to Dun & Bradstreet, Hoovers, and LexisNexis – or call an independent information professional who has PPV access to these resources.