Information and Data Resource list – broken down into the 5 C’s
Note to visitors:
I put this page together to list the resources I require my students to use for various courses within our programs. I have categorized these resources by a common situational exploration method called the 5 C’s. Right now this is one, long, continuous page of descriptions and links.
This page is a continual “Work in Progress”
5 C’s:
- Company
- Competitors
- Customers (Target and Consumers)
- Climate/Context (Industry and Environment)
- Collaborators
Company, Competitors’ Companies – Use the following resources to look for information about a Company, such as:
Who is the company, their history, their mission, their vision? Where arer they located? What do they do do? What are their products/services and prices? How much do they sell? What unique position do they have in the marketplace: their market size, potential growth? How do people know about this company? What do they think of the company? How does the company position itself? What makes this company unique and gives them their competitive advantage? How do their products get to the customers? Can they be accessed online? How do they communicate with their customers (store, web, blog, facebook, twitter…) and what is their voice and/or advertising appeals? Do competitors sell the same products/services for the same prices? Who has more market share?
Owned Information:
- The Company website
- The Company’s LinkedIn and Facebook accounts – look at their profile, description, posts, photos, Q&A to employees
- The Company’s other social media (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) – look at their profile, description, posts, photos
Earned Information:
- Search Glassdoor’s business pages
- Search for news and Press Releases in Newspapers (such as the Tribune)
- Review sites such as Yelp, Google Reviews, etc.
https://Census.gov …. Census site: How Do I Get Business Data for My Location using the Census? If you are looking to open or expand your business, check out this tip to learn how to access statistics about your market, customers, and other business like yours: https://www.census.gov/data/academy/data-gems/location-cbb.html
https://data.census.gov/cedsci/results/all?q=consumer%20behavior%20t:%22Business%20and%20Owner%20Characteristics%22:%22Employment%20Size%22%20y:2016%20g:0500000US55063&t=Business%20and%20Owner%20Characteristics:Employment%20Size&y=2016&g=0500000US55063&tab=CBP2016.CB1600A11&ps=table*currentPage@1$app*page@1$app*from@RESULTS_ALL
https://www.statista.com ….Statista, The Fact Destination. Statista consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources…within 600 industries. You can access quite a bit for free (creating a free account is useful). You can take a guided tour of how to find the information you need.
https://www.data.gov/ ….Data.gov is a government website launched in 2009 to improve public access to high-value data. They provide access to the federal, state, local, and tribal government information made available to the public. They provide great demographic information for certain things, like how adults view smoking and even crime rates in cities and such. So when you’re looking to support or start a company, you can find a lot of great city, demographic and price data on this site.
http://www.city-data.com/ ….City-Data contains detailed, informative profiles for every city in the United States. Data is as of 2010 and 2016.
http://www.city-data.com/work/work-La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html (Industries La Crosse people work in, unemployment, travel time/method to work)
http://www.city-data.com/business/econ-La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html (La Crosse Economy and Business Data)
http://www.city-data.com/county/La_Crosse_County-WI.html (County-wide info for La Crosse County = La Crosse, Ona, Holmen, Shelby, West Salem, French Island, Campbell, Holland, Hamilton, Brice Prairie)
http://www.city-data.com/business2/econ-La_Crosse_County-WI.html ((La Crosse County Economy and Business Data)
https://www.usa.gov/ ….USA.gov provides access to questions about the USA and provides access to public government information such as consumer, education, housing, health, disasters, unemployment, travel, small business, etc. Also includes resources for starting, expanding, or relocating a business to WI (https://www.usa.gov/state-business/wisconsin). Note: https://www.wisconsin.gov/Pages/resident.aspx – Wisconsin.gov contains links to resources and services available to Wisconsin Residents.
https://www.infoplease.com/info-please-almanac
http://www.nationmaster.com/
Customers: (Target and Consumers) – Use the following resources to look for information about current and potential customer segments, such as:
Who is currently purchasing from the company? What segments of customers exist for the company and whois their target audience(s)? Describe them in terms of lifestyles, psychographics, demographics, product usage, communication preferences, etc.? How many are there…market size and growth potential? What motivates them to purchase the company’s products (and instead of from the competitors)? How often do they buy? What is important to their purchase decision (price, technology, ease of use, or new uses)? Is it planned or impulse? Who influences them? Where do they find info on the product? Where do they buy the products (store, online, vending, etc.)? What else do you know about them? What is their life like? What problems do they face? Their behavior? What types of people live in the area who could be potential customers? What type of people are not buying?
https://westerntc.edu/databases ….Western’s Library Databases (use your student login when off campus)
- RAB Database: Instant Background AND Consumer Behavior (‘Gold’ reports) give a lot of information about Consumer Outlooks and Behaviors as it relates to certain product categories or situations (what they buy, how they buy, when they buy, why they buy, etc.)
- Reference USA:
- EBSCO (within BadgerLink):
Census.gov:
It’s easy and quick to generate a business report about your potential customers and other businesses like yours for your area or a new market using the Census Business Builder. Learn how to download a Business Data Report: https://www.census.gov/data/academy/data-gems/business-report.html
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ ….Census Quick Facts
https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/narrative-profiles/2017/ ….American Community Survey Narrative Profiles: short, analytic reports derived from the ACS 5-year estimates (2013 – 2017). Each Narrative Profile covers 15 different topic areas and provides text and bar charts to display highlights of selected social, economic, housing and demographic estimates for a selected geographic area (State, Metro-area, County, City, Zipcode, Indian Area). La Crosse’s metro area covers La Crosse-Onalaska WI-MN area.
Data such as # of people by age (females and males), type of homes they live in, incomes/earnings, # in poverty, education obtained, type of career, marital status, # of renters/home-owners, computers owned, internet type, etc.
https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/data-profiles/2017/ ….American Community Survey Data Profiles: Each of these four subject areas is a separate data profile summarizing the data for a geographic area, like listed above:
- Social Characteristics — includes Education, Marital Status, Relationships, Fertility, Grandparents…
- Economic Characteristics — includes Income, Employment, Occupation, Commuting to Work…
- Housing Characteristics — includes Occupancy and Structure, Housing Value and Costs, Utilities…
- Demographic Characteristics — includes Sex and Age, Race, Hispanic Origin, Housing Units…
https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/supplemental-tables/ These tables provide the most recent ACS statistics for a single year. Pick from any of 56 topic categories. Ex. Household income: Year = 2017 (Versions of this table are available for the following years: 2014 – 2017)
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metro Area | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | Margin of Error | |
| Total: | 55,940 | +/-878 |
| Less than $20,000 | 7,842 | +/-985 |
| $20,000 to $39,999 | 9,646 | +/-1,500 |
| $40,000 to $59,999 | 12,375 | +/-1,392 |
| $60,000 to $99,999 | 14,343 | +/-1,614 |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 6,941 | +/-986 |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 2,252 | +/-556 |
| $200,000 or more | 2,541 | +/-691 |
http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/ ….VALS (Values and Lifestyles) conducted consumer surveys to identify the psychological traits and key demographics that have a strong correlation with consumer preferences about products, activities, and media. VALS segments US adults into eight distinct types—or mindsets—using a specific set of psychological traits and key demographics that drive consumer behavior. Every nation includes people who are more or less impulsive or more or less deliberate, preferring the familiar to the novel; the same is true for other characteristics such as adherence to traditional values, me-first attitudes, and reliance on self. These attitudes connect to a broad range of consumer behaviors such as brand preferences, the adoption of new products, and leadership qualities.
https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/LocalGovtsGrants/Demographic_Services.aspx ….Wisconsin Dept of Administration, Demographics Services Shows the demographics of the Wisconsin people.
http://www.city-data.com/ ….City-Data contains detailed, informative profiles for every city in the United States. Pick your state, pick your city. Information on just about every topic you can think of. Data is as of 2010 and 2016.
http://www.city-data.com/county/La_Crosse_County-WI.html (County-wide info for La Crosse County = La Crosse, Ona, Holmen, Shelby, West Salem, French Island, Campbell, Holland, Hamilton, Brice Prairie)
http://www.city-data.com/city/La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html (data from demographics to house values to family size to crime rates to weather patterns and a lot more)
http://www.city-data.com/work/work-La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html (Industries La Crosse people work in, unemployment, travel time/method to work)
http://www.city-data.com/business/econ-La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html (La Crosse Economy and Business Data)
http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html (Poverty and disability rates by age, race, family)
Also, check out the City-Data Blog for posts to answer questions you never knew you had about data. From silly, light-hearted investigations to powerful economic examinations: http://www.city-data.com/blog/
Statista, The Fact Destination. Statista.com consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources…within 600 industries. Creating a free account is useful. You can take a guided tour of how to find the information you need.
https://www.statista.com/outlook/consumer-markets & https://www.statista.com/markets/415/consumer-goods-fmcg/ ….Consumer Outlook (various product categories)
Ex. Consumer Behavior with online dating: https://www.statista.com/chart/17017/reasons-for-dating-app-usage/
https://www.data.gov/ ….Data.gov They provide federal, state, local, and tribal government information, made available to the public. Depending on what you are searching for, Data.gov can provide excellent data on Population surveys, state, federal and even university surveys and research. It can be an excellent tool to find climate/context information if you properly search the site for it.
http://www.censusscope.org/ ….CensusScope: Can find information on
epodunk.com This site breaks down what groups live in a certain area along gives you the average income per person.
https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/ ….Claritas 360: Can look up lifestyle and demographic descriptors by zip code. Describes “Who are my best customers?” and “What are they like?” and “Where can I find them?” Segments are categorized by
(1) PRIZM-purchasing preferences
(2) P$CLE-financial behavior
(3)ConneXions-voice/video/date consumption.
https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/tapestry-segmentation/zip-lookup ….ESRI/zip lookup: Zip Lookup can be used to look at a zip code or area and learn about the demo of the people there to better allow you to target customers.
Consumer Expenditures https://www.bls.gov/cex/#products – This site reflects what types of behaviors or habits a buyer has for spending habits
https://www.bls.gov/cex/2019/combined/age.pdf – This site reflects the average $ spent on certain types of products by age
https://www.bls.gov/cex/csxgloss.htm – glossary of terms from Consumer Expenditures
ESRI/Zip Lookup. The zip lookup can be used to look at the external environment and how customers are doing. Who will shop in the area? How much money do they have? What are their interests? https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/tapestry-segmentation/zip-lookup
https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml ….American FactFinder This website has many uses, the main being able to find demographic information. You are able to find facts such as population or income of any location. American Factfinder is also useful as it offers many tables of information for housing, businesses, and local governments. They also have a tutorial for the website, which you can view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7a13UAlZ2I
https://www.factmonster.com/us/fifty-states/wisconsin
Climate/Context – Use the following resources to look for information about an industry or the environment surrounding it, such as:
What is going on in the industry and external environment? What are the latest trends? PEST Analysis: Are there any new ‘P‘olitical laws or regulations in the works? How is the current ‘E‘conomic situation affecting customers’ buying behavior? Is the economy stable as far as the products are concerned? What ‘S‘ocietal trends (in connection to the products/services) are going on (attitude or demographic shifts)? Are there new ‘T‘echnologies or trends that will affect product development, costs, customer communication, etc.?
The ‘Thomas Network’ https://news.thomasnet.com/ provides actionable information, ideas, and news about the industrial marketplace. It is the market leader as a network for B2B buyers and Industrial Suppliers.
The useful part of this website for Climate is the industry news and insights: https://news.thomasnet.com/featured/browse/business-industry (look for those related to the industry your business is in (such as ‘5 Industrial Marketing Trends for 2019’ and ‘Competing Against E-Commerce Giants’). Also, explore the industry thoughts within blog posts (such as ‘Using Content Marketing For Manufacturing Companies’):
https://blog.thomasnet.com/?_ga=2.130495181.355684447.1550009414-1476907894.1549906798
GfK – Knowledge from Growth: https://www.gfk.com/en-us/ Select the industry for overview and trends relating to it. Frequently these clicks lead to “Insights”: https://www.gfk.com/insights/?industry=23&solution=0&contenttype=0&country=0&language=89&sorting=0
Marketing Charts: https://www.marketingcharts.com Marketing charts is all about how the company got the information and how they use it or what it really means. https://www.marketingcharts.com/digital/social-media-107359 is about how customers feel connected through your page,
Food Purchasing/Consumption and Agriculture Industry: Agricultural, Food and Nutrition Information including food expenditures for products, by eat-in/out, by families, etc.
https://www.usda.gov/
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-expenditure-series/ https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-availability-per-capita-data-system/ https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-markets-prices/food-prices-expenditures-costs/
America’s Eating Habits:
https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/september/food-spending-of-middle-income-households-hardest-hit-by-the-great-recession/
https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/november/growth-in-quick-service-restaurants-outpaced-full-service-restaurants-in-most-us-counties/
Education (and College student insights):
https://nces.ed.gov/ The National Center for Education Statistics
https://nces.ed.gov/datalab/index.aspx (Postsecondary articles also Adult Education articles)
https://nces.ed.gov/datalab/TablesLibrary (Topics such as Student Characteristics and Academic Experiences, Persistence, Retention, Degrees, After College, etc.)
https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/postsec.asp https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/adult.asp
https://www.bncollege.com/ Barnes & Noble College – Invaluable Insights and Understanding of Students and the College Experience (information from 10K+ student panel and 5K+ parent panel)
https://www.collegemagazine.com/ College Magazine
https://www.refuelagency.com/insights/ Refuel Agency’s College Student Market Insights (blog posts)
Ex: College Students’ Digital Habits – Recap of 2017: https://www.refuelagency.com/college/digital-habits-whats-hot/
and Brands they Connect To: https://www.refuelagency.com/college/connecting-college-students-2017/
Suits For Success Similar Concepts:
https://career.ku.edu/clothing http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ucla-students-help-peers-dress-for-success
https://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/programs/clothing-closet
Statista, The Fact Destination. Statista.com consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources…within 600 industries. Creating a free account is useful. You can take a guided tour of how to find the information you need.
Categorized Industry information is available
Ex: Apparel Industry in the US: Sports and Swimwear shows the future outlook through 2023 of sports and swimwear gear, what is popular, what is bought. https://www.statista.com/outlook/90030000/109/sports-swimwear/united-states
Ex: information out about a consumer market in an industry: https://www.statista.com/outlook/consumer-markets
bls.gov can be used: Consumer Expenditures https://www.bls.gov/cex/#products – This site is also entering in what types of behaviors or habits a buyer has for spending habits
ESRI/Zip Lookup. The zip lookup can be used to look at the external environment and how customers are doing. Who will shop in the area? How much money do they have? What are their interests? https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/tapestry-segmentation/zip-lookup
http://www.city-data.com/ ….City-Data contains detailed, informative profiles for every city in the United States. Data is as of 2010 and 2016.
http://www.city-data.com/business/econ-La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html (La Crosse City Industry, Economy and Business Data)
http://www.city-data.com/business2/econ-La_Crosse_County-WI.html ((La Crosse County Industry, Economy and Business Data) (County-wide info for La Crosse County = La Crosse, Ona, Holmen, Shelby, West Salem, French Island, Campbell, Holland, Hamilton, Brice Prairie) – these industries:
Also, check out the City-Data Blog for posts to answer questions you never knew you had about data. From silly, light-hearted investigations to powerful economic examinations: http://www.city-data.com/blog/
Census Quick Facts – world map and charts – shows information about the specific location you are searching https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/map/US/PST045218, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/geo/chart/US/PST045218
Pew Research Center http://www.pewresearch.org This website does a great job with providing information on the climate. It has different articles and blogs, as well as datasets showing how our climate has been for the past 20+ years. You can find these under the Global Tab (http://www.pewglobal.org/) and the Science Tab (http://www.pewresearch.org/science/).
Collaborators – Use the following resources to look for information relating to Collaborators, outside-of-the-companies resources used to accomplish the company’s functions, such as:
Who am I working with for my business operation? Can any third party help make my business more effective? Who created/maintains my website? Who is my shipping provider? How long does shipping take? Who is helping me process credit cards? Who is providing my shopping cart software? Is my online system secure? Who handles my inventory/warehouse operations? Who do I get my inventory from?
The ‘Thomas Network’ https://news.thomasnet.com provides actionable information, ideas, and news about the industrial marketplace. It is the market leader as a network for B2B buyers and Industrial Suppliers and has a directory of Suppliers by services offered