I find the IBIS industry reports available here on searchfunder to be a fantastic tool to research a variety of industries. Especially the standardized metrics and assessments make it easy to compare otherwise unrelated industries.
In the industry impact and SWOT analysis section of each IBIS report, there is an assessment of the level of assistance in the industry. I'm struggling to get a clear understanding of what is being measured or assessed. Is this supposed to represent an opinion on the competitive rivalry among industry participants (tying into Porter's five forces)? Are we talking about access to assistance from government agencies, trade bodies or unions? Is it related to the maturity of the industry or the ease of entering the market?
The definition offered by IBIS delivered no relief:
"Assistance: Assistance acts similarly to barriers to entry. High levels of industry assistance are a structural strength for incumbent operators and should support performance. Low assistance levels represent a threat to industry companies."
Source: https://help.ibisworld.com/s/article/new-swot-analysis-section#:~:text=Assistance%3A%20Assistance%20acts%20similarly%20to,a%20threat%20to%20industry%20companies.
What do you think? Does anyone know? Let's discuss!
IBIS Report SWOT Analysis Question
by a searcher from Northwestern University
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Different types if assistance can include: Tariffs, Direct and indirect government assistance, and assistance from industry bodies (ex: associations and trade groups). Typically, an industry that has high levels of Industry Assistance is in a stronger position than competitors as this assistance is meant to aid and improve the industry's performance. Please let me know if I can try to help with anything else IBISWorld-related!