Marketing Plans: Online Sources

There is a huge amount of demographic and industry information for your marketing plan available online.

 

The hard part is finding the reliable sources that you will need. Sophisticated venture capital investors, angel investors and bankers easily recognize shoddy research, so make sure that your research is both documented and verified as an expert source.

To ensure the depth of research that you will need to present, I strongly recommend that you use the demographics from BizMiner as your starting point. BizMiner provides an excellent reliable foundation for your marketing plan.

Using BizMiner Stats

BizMiner provides raw data.  When you start examining it, it may present your industry in a strong light;  it may also present you company in a declining industry.

So why do I say it's important to pull the BizMiner stats?  Because your bank will.  If your bank doesn't use BizMiner itself, it has internal researchers who comes up with stats real similar to those that BizMiner has.

Developing Your Marketing Plan with Online Sources

Often the information that you locate on BizMiner is sufficiently comprehensive to present a persuasive marketing plan for your business.

Sometimes you may find it helpful to supplement the information from BizMiner with additional source material. Well, there is a lot available that you could use.

•  There are sources from various government agencies, from local chambers of commerce to the U.S. Census, with many comparable statistical studies in other countries.

• There are sources from any number of developmental agencies and "watch dog" groups that cover the country.

• There are sources from industry organizations, some of which are genuinely excellent. There is typically a charge of several hundred to several thousand dollars to join the organization, and an additional charge for the industry analysis that the organization has conducted. However, if you are searching for serious funding, this may be a real option.

• There are sources on competitor's online files -- perhaps annual reports or SEC filings or even press releases. Certainly check out the web sites of your company's top competitors to see what you can see.

• There are sources from the suppliers that you will be using. These are companies that know the market well, and may well be able to point you in the right direction.

A key concept in developing a successful marketing plan is to let the demographics and the statistics drive your business, not the other way around. Don't force the numbers -- if they aren't there, they aren't there. Use the numbers to enhance whatever your basic concept is and you will end up with a very strong business proposal.

The hardest part about internet research is locating the specific information that is needed, and verifying the source. For instance, have you located a thesis written by a high school student enrolled in a summer college course, or a paper by a post-graduate fellow specializing in your field? The answer isn't always obvious.

You may also find it helpful to review some of the standard sources noted below:

American FactFinder (US Census Bureau) FactFinder uses available data from the Census Bureau to enable to user to create tables, reports and maps with information down to the census block level. Data Sets compile complete subject and geographic coverage. Basic Facts provide a quick look at most used data. Keyword and place name searches, reference maps and thematic maps contribute to the value of this site. (US Census Bureau) Census 2000: Your Gateway to Census 2000 Data from the 2000 US census includes summary tables focusing on age, sex, households, families, and occupied housing units. Also includes scheduled release dates for additional data, a directory of regional and local sources for Census 2000, and information on how the census was taken. CensusScope An easy-to-use tool for investigation US demographic trends. Sponsored by the Social Science Data Analysis Network at the University of Michigan. Eye-catching graphics and exportable trend data, with maps, charts, rankings for national, state, metro and county data from 2000, 1990 and 1980 censuses. Marketing Plans for States and Counties Easy-to-use info at the national, state and county levels. Tables include People Facts, Business Facts and Geographical Facts. Includes recent population estimates, retail sales, minority-owned businesses, education levels, income levels. US Bureau of the Census The most comprehensive compilation of current US demographic data, including population, housing, business activity, international trade, farming, and state and local governments. Free Adobe Acrobat Reader will be needed for some files. Links to U.S., state and international data centers. For business statistics in particular, go to U.S. Business Statistics. Marketing Plans based on FedStats Links to over 70 US government agencies that have reports, tables, and information on population, business and financial numbers. Browse and search capability. Consumer Expenditure Studies From the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. News releases and stats on the buying habits of American consumers. Includes data on income, consumer characteristics and how much people spend in a dozen different categories. Federal Business Opportunities The site for information on US government contracts exceeding $25,000. Search tool for business opportunities. Small Business Development Center The National Information Clearinghouse of SBDC provides research support to over 900 SBDCs throughout the US. Internet Resources section has links to more than 20 categories, including e-commerce. US Bureau of the Census Comprehensive source of business and manufacturing activity. The following databases are available via many university and public libraries: ABI/INFORM GLOBAL. A business and management index to over 1,000 professional publications, academic journals, and trade magazines on advertising, marketing, economics, human resources, finance, taxation, computers, and more. AMERICAN DEMOGRAPHICS MAGAZINE. (both hard copy and online versions). Published by Dow Jones. Often surprising, always thorough investigations into specific demographic issues. May include studies of specialized cultural markets, or markets for particular products. http://www.demographics.com BUSINESS SOURCE ELITE. Abstracts for over 1,500 business journals, with full text accessibility for more than 40 regional business publications. NEW YORK TIMES. Fully indexed. Excellent source for background information on industries and trends. WALL STREET JOURNAL. It's not just numbers anymore -- and hasn't been for quite some time. Intriguing articles, thought-provoking ideas. Fully indexed

Business Journals Search over 40 regional business publications. Set up alert notices for particular companies or industries. Superb service. Free. Free Public Records Over 100 links to state, county, city and federal public information. CEO Express Written by a busy exec for busy execs, with links to newspapers, newsfinds, TV news, business investing magazines and search engines. Full access is $49 per year, but there are a lot of free links. US Private Company Research Fee based searching over 44 states simultaneously. Search for information on corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability corporations, dba's, assumed names and prior names. Annual Reports - PRARS Free service to order annual reports on more than 3,600 companies. Reports are delivered online for rapid service. EDGAR Recently revamped website is quick and easy to use. Quick tutorial on accessing and using SEC documentation. Several different types of search available. EDGAR Online Impressive interface with SEC filings. Search with any combination of 10 criteria, download financials and vital statistics, search proxy filings. Fee. Internet Resources -- Newspapers From the Library of Congress. Access hundreds of online newspapers, domestic and international. U.S. Industrial Outlook From the U.S. Department of Commerce. THE resource on major U.S. industry trends. Published annually. Industry Home Pages Links to the "home pages" of dozens of industries across a broad spectrum of interest. North American Industry Classification System Trends Tables See the Trends Tables for statistical data on trends of defined industry segments. Marketing plans for international businesses often need to consider legal aspects of trade, such as outlined in Lex Mercatoria Extensive international law links and materials including treaties, conventions, model laws, rules and other relevant trade instruments, international organizations. Indexed and searchable. Marketing Plan Web Resources Compiled by the Federation of International Trade Associations, the International Trade Web Resources site indexes and annotates more than 3,000 links related to international trade. Search by keyword or browse by subject listing. Marketing plan resources at ENTERWeb: Enterprise Development This directory focuses on micro, small and medium sized enterprises, cooperatives, and community economic development in both developed and developing countries. Nearly 500 resources are annotated and rated, with sites also listed geographically and alphabetically.

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