BYU Free Resources

Overview

BYU students have access to premium research tools that would cost thousands elsewhere. Here’s how to use them for business acquisition research.

Premium Tools (Free)

PitchBook

Normal Cost: $50,000/year
BYU Access: Free via HBLL

What it does:

• Private company financials
• M&A transaction data
• Fundraising history
• Comparable company analysis

How to access:

1. Go to hbll.byu.edu
2. Search “PitchBook” in databases
3. Click “Access via BYU”
4. Create account with @byu.edu email

Best for:

• Finding comparable transactions
• Valuation benchmarks
• Industry research

IBIS World

Normal Cost: $5,000+/year
BYU Access: Free via HBLL

What it does:

• Industry reports for every market
• Market size, growth, trends
• Competitive landscape
• Risk analysis

How to access:

1. Go to hbll.byu.edu
2. Search “IBIS World” in databases
3. Click “Access via BYU”

Best for:

• Industry deep-dives
• Market sizing
• Competitive analysis

Business Librarians

Cost: Free
Access: HBLL Reference Desk or schedule appointment

What they do:

• Research assistance
• Database training
• Industry-specific guidance
• 36 PhD librarians

Best for:

• Complex research questions
• Learning new databases
• Finding niche information

How to Use These for ETA

Step 1: Industry Research

1. Start with IBIS World for industry overview
2. Note: Market size, growth rate, key players
3. Export report sections to your research folder

Step 2: Deal Comps

1. Use PitchBook for comparable transactions
2. Filter by: industry, revenue range, location
3. Download valuation multiples

Step 3: Deep Dive

1. Schedule with Business Librarian
2. Ask for: industry-specific databases, niche sources
3. Get training on advanced search techniques

Research Workflow

1. IBIS World → Industry overview
2. PitchBook → Comparable deals
3. Google/Bing → Company-specific research
4. Librarian → Fill gaps, find niche sources
5. AI Agent → Synthesize, summarize, track

Other Free Resources

Dun & Bradstreet

• Business credit reports
• Company profiles
• Available via HBLL

ReferenceUSA (DataAxle)

• Business listings
• Contact information
• Great for building target lists

Statista

• Market statistics
• Industry data
• Charts and infographics

Tips

Export Everything

• Download reports as PDFs
• Save search results
• Screenshots of key data

Organize with AI

• Upload PitchBook exports to Claude
• Ask AI to extract key metrics
• Build comparison tables

Librarian Office Hours

• Don’t wait until you’re stuck
• Schedule early in research process
• Come with specific questions

Example Research Session

Task: Research dental practice acquisitions

1. IBIS World: Search “Dental Services”

   • Market size: $160B
   • Growth: 3.2%/year
   • Key trends: Consolidation, aging population

2. PitchBook: Search dental practice transactions

   • 47 deals in past 5 years
   • Average EV/Revenue: 1.2x
   • Average EV/EBITDA: 6.5x

3. Librarian: Ask for dental industry databases

   • ADA (American Dental Association) data
   • State licensing databases
   • Industry newsletters

4. AI Agent: Build target list

   • Scrape state dental board listings
   • Filter by: solo practice, owner age 55+
   • Cross-reference with demographic data

Cost Savings

Tool	Market Price	BYU Price	Savings
PitchBook	$50,000/yr	Free	$50,000
IBIS World	$5,000/yr	Free	$5,000
Librarian Consulting	$200/hr	Free	Unlimited
Total	$55,000+	Free	$55,000

Next Steps

Set up your first research session:

1. Access PitchBook
2. Access IBIS World
3. Schedule librarian meeting

Want to automate research? → Life-Ops System

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