WebJunction

NAICS and SIC manuals have been published by the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget. Most library collections hold these manuals, particularly Federal Depository Libraries. The books feature descriptions of the major industry groups and specific industry divisions, an alphabetical index, and a bridge or matching guide between the revision and its predecessor (NAICS to SIC, NAICS 2002 to 1997, and so on). However, the quickest, easiest, and most convenient place to remotely find NAICS/SIC numbers is on the Census webpage.

NAICS Lookup: Visit www.census.gov. Look in the center of the page under the heading Business & Industry for NAICS. Once this is clicked, look in the upper left part of the page. This is the NAICS lookup area (the box where it says NAICS search).
Enter a word or words of the industry number being searched.

Exercise: This exercise will help you learn, through trial and error, how a NAICS lookup is conducted and how to understand the information given.

1. Your customer is seeking the NAICS and SIC number for the dog grooming industry. Enter "dog grooming" in the search box.
2. You'll see a message that indicates no listing for the industry you entered.
3. Now, try "dog." (You can use the box provided on the page you received; i.e., you don't have to return to the previous page.)
4. You get a result this time, but none reflects the industry you're seeking. This time, try "grooming." (Again, you can use search box on the page you received.)
5. You see that the resulting table indicates that the NAICS number for this industry is 812910, for "pet grooming services."
6. You might also try "pet" just to see that a different list of industries appears, including other pet business activities, petroleum and petrochemical business activities, and others. Always scan the table for most appropriate match.

Things to notice about the results page:

1. Click the NAICS number (a live link) and you'll receive a definition of the industry. Notice that the table includes the SIC number for this industry, as well (0752, in this case). Look at the description and make sure it really fits what your customer is looking for.
2. Notice the other types of businesses that can fall within one NAICS code! In the case of pet grooming, other business types covered by 812910 include dog pounds, pet sitting, and pet training. This is VERY IMPORTANT to know when analyzing financial data for a business plan (from statement studies, etc.), since in some cases, the searcher may not be able to get as specific as they wish.
3. Note that the page offers cross-references. These are related industries not represened by the number you're looking at. In the case of pet grooming, cross reference numbers are provided for veterinary, horse boarding, and pet transportation services; these are covered elsewhere. This is helpful when one of the cross-references more accurately fits the industry sought by your customer.
4. Pay attention to anything in parenthesis! Generally, this is to exclude business operations not intended to be represented by the number at hand. In the case of pet grooming, the heading is: Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services. This tells you that anything regarding veterinary medicine will have a different NAICS (and SIC) number.

Important things to know about NAICS & SIC