What are credible and free websites to do research on companies, business, industry and economic trends?

Your first step should be http://www.fedstats.gov/ - statistics from 100 government agencies are freely available. Check out the A-Z index to quickly find what you want, or take the time to delve into the various agencies to find relevant statistics.

from the site:

What is FedStats?

FedStats, which has been available to the public since 1997, provides access to the full range of official statistical information produced by the Federal Government without having to know in advance which Federal agency produces which particular statistic. With convenient searching and linking capablilties to more than 100 agencies that provide data and trend information on such topics as economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more, FedStats is your one location for access to the full breadth of Federal statistical information.

Who is FedStats?

FedStats provides information for Federal agencies that are listed in Statistical Programs of The United States Government and reporting expenditures of at least $500,000 per year in one or more statistical activities including:

planning of statistical surveys and studies, including project design,

sample design and selection, and design of questionnaires, forms, or other techniques of observation and data collection

training of statisticians, interviewers, or processing personnel

collection, processing, or tabulation of statistical data for publication, dissemination, research, analysis, or program management and evaluation

publication or dissemination of statistical data and studies

methodological testing or statistical research

data analysis

forecasts or projections that are published or otherwise made available for government-wide or public use

statistical tabulation, dissemination, or publication of data collected by others

construction of secondary data series or development of models that are an integral part of generating statistical series or forecasts

management or coordination of statistical operations

statistical consulting or training

Some principal statistical programs, such as labor force statistics and energy statistics, are carried out by agencies (the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Energy Information Administration, respectively) whose sole missions are statistical. In other cases, agencies have statistical programs that support their program planning and evaluation functions.

How do I find information on FedStats?

Topics A to Z: More than 400 topics that range from acute conditions (colds and influenza) through weekly earnings.

Program/Subject areas: Link to summaries of the major statistical programs including agriculture, education, energy, environment, health, income, labor, national accounts, safety, and transportation.

Agencies: If you know the name of the agency, you can select it from our agency list, browse key statistics, and look up contact information.

Search: Enter your key words or phrases. FedStats searches all of the linked agencies (or those you specify); then provides a list of links to the documents it finds. Our search database is updated twice per month for each agency web site.

Press releases: For the most current information, browse our topic on press releases or search our database, which is updated daily, for links to releases from the principal statistical agencies.

How do I find information for my county or State on FedStats?

Use MapStats to profile your State, county, Federal judicial district, or congressional district. Just select the name from the menu or use the map provided for your State.