Filter By Industry: The most common way lines (or types) of businesses are organized is by federal Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes, a 4-digit code assigned to every business type. The traditional Yellow Page categories are directly based on these codes.
Established in 1937, SIC Codes are maintained by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Both the SIC and NAICS follow an organizing system where the first two numbers identify a Major Industrial Group while following numbers drill down to identify more specific business types. The types of business activity can get quite detailed. There are thousands of business categories.
- Industry by Keyword (SIC): Use Standard Industrial Classifications keywords as a basis for your search
- Industry by Keyword (NAICS): Use the North American Industrial Classifications keywords as a basis for your search.
- Industry by Codes (SIC): If you know the specific SIC codes you want to target, use this selection enter multiple SIC codes.
- Industry by Codes (NAICS): If you know the specific NAIC codes you want to target, use this selection enter multiple NAICS codes.
- Major Industry Group: You can search by using 2, 4 or 6-digit SIC codes.
Using Keywords to Find Businesses by Industry: In both the “Industry by Keyword (SIC)” and the “Industry by Keyword (NAIC)” selections, type in the keyword that best describes the type of business you’re targeting in the search box at the top. If you know the actual industrial classification codes or the first two digits of an industrial classification code (marking major industry groups), you can search with those.
If you only want to search by the first two digits of an industrial classification code, use the Major Industry Group criteria under Industry Selections.
You can also start with a code and then add a keyword to narrow your search.
For instance, typing “52” will search for types of businesses under the "BUILDING MATERIALS & HARDWARE" Major Industry Group in the SIC code classifications.
Pro Tip: Typing “hardware” or “building hardware” will search for that keyword across all industry heading types. Typing “52 hardware” will search the Building Materials & Hardware Major Industrial Group (“52”) for lines (or types) of businesses with “hardware” in the industrial classification name.
Search Primary Only: Many companies have multiple lines of business. Restaurants will offer catering, a dental practice will have dentistry and orthodontic services or insurance agents will provide other financial services. By selecting “Search Primary Only” you restrict your search to companies that have line of their business as their most important.
For instance, to find auto body shops but not new car dealerships with auto body services, select “Search Primary Only”.