# Research a business

> Name a business, check the links, and get a report on their brand, market and competitors.

Category: Discover & leads
Web version: https://www.monodesk.com/help/discover-leads/research-a-business
Last updated: October 15, 2026

Research does the homework on a business before you meet them. Use it on a new lead, a client you already have, or one of your client's competitors.

Don't see **Research** in your sidebar? Your workspace may still use Discover. See [Research a lead](https://www.monodesk.com/help/discover-leads/research-a-lead) instead.

## Start a report

Open **Research** in the sidebar and click **New research**.

![The New research form](https://www.monodesk.com/help/screenshots/research-new.png)

1. Enter the **Business name**.
2. Add at least one **Business link**, like their website, socials, LinkedIn or a recent press piece. Click **Add** after each one.
3. Add a **Research focus** if you want the report to cover something specific, like a new market they're moving into or what's holding them back. This is optional.
4. Click **Continue**.

## Check the links

MonoDesk looks for the business's website pages, socials, listings and press, then asks you to check what it found.

![Checking the links MonoDesk found](https://www.monodesk.com/help/screenshots/research-check-links.png)

Untick anything that isn't the right business and add any link it missed. Wrong links make a wrong report, so it's worth a quick look. Then click **Continue**.

The research runs in the background and usually takes 3 to 5 minutes. You can close the window and carry on. MonoDesk lets you know when the report is ready.

## Read the report

Open the report from **Research**. It starts with a headline finding and a snapshot of the numbers that matter, like locations, followers, reviews and pricing.

![A finished research report](https://www.monodesk.com/help/screenshots/research-report.png)

Further down you'll find:

- What they offer and who it's for
- Their brand and visual identity, including colours
- Market position, with a comparison against their closest competitors and a timeline of recent moves
- Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, plus anything worth flagging before you meet

![The signals and opportunities section](https://www.monodesk.com/help/screenshots/research-report-signals.png)

Numbers in square brackets are citations. They link to the source, so you can check a claim before you repeat it.

## Edit, export or re-run

The toolbar at the bottom of the report has:

- **Edit with AI** to ask your Co-Worker to rewrite or tighten a section
- **Edit inline** to change the text yourself
- **Export** to share the report
- **More** for **Re-run research**, **Archive this research** and the next steps below

## Take it further

From **More**, choose **Set up a meeting with this business** to plan a meeting with the report attached. The agenda is drafted from what the research found. See [Plan a meeting](https://www.monodesk.com/help/discover-leads/plan-a-meeting).

If the report isn't linked to a client yet, **Create a client from this research** adds them as a client in one step.