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Gauge the competition
A manufacturer compared statistics for his company with industry-wide figures
in census reports. He became concerned when he found that they achieved less
value added per employee than the competition--represented by industry
averages. Census figures helped him convince the company's Board of
Directors to reduce administrative staff and take other measures to increase
productivity and profitability.
Calculate market shareA restaurant supply wholesaler calculated that it had roughly an 11-percent market share--its own sales divided by state totals for similar businesses-- in its primary sales region in the northern mountain states. The wholesaler used that figure as a target when it expanded into Arizona and New Mexico. Locate business markets
A man who had developed software for managing quality control operations made
a list of industries most likely to use his product, then ranked the top
industries based on census figures on value added and growth. He customized
his software to appeal to those top prospects. Census data on CD-ROM made it
easy to find areas where large plants in the target industries were
located.
Locate distributors or resellers
The publisher of a TV magazine for free distribution at stores wanted the
distribution of retailers by ZIP Code in order to design sales territories.
They grouped ZIP Codes until each territory had roughly equal numbers of
small stores--their sales people had found that owners of small stores were
more willing to listen to their pitch than were owners of large stores. Site location
A major food store chain uses retail census data and population figures to
estimate potential weekly food store sales in the trade area for each of its
stores. These estimates allow the company to calculate market share for each
existing store, and to evaluate prospective sites for new stores.
Design sales territories and set sales quotasAn insurance company uses counts of establishments and sales by kind of business to redesign sales territories and set quotas and incentive levels for agents. By comparing census figures to their own records on customers, company executives found which kinds of businesses were better prospects than others. Enhance business-opportunity presentations to banks or venture capitalists
A small business manufacturing solar water heater panels sought to attract
new investors. They changed their prospectus to prominently feature the use
of their product in growing industries, with census data to back them
up.
Evaluate new business opportunities
A manufacturer of industrial chemicals used data on production of
semiconductors and other high technology products to assess the feasibility
of introducing a line of advanced composite materials.
ResearchA professor at Harvard University studied a series of votes in Congress related to free trade issues. He used Census of Manufactures data to explore the correlation between each state's industrial structure and the way that state's Congressional representatives voted on these issues. Maintain local tax base
The Economic Development Commission of Chicago attempts to attract new
business to the city, and retain the ones they already have, by talking to
individual companies about their real estate and labor force needs. They use
Economic Census data to identify industries growing nationally but not doing as
well locally.
Assist local businesses
A State economic development agency identified industries with the most
export activity using "Exports from Manufacturing Plants". The agency gave
those industries top priority as it launched a program to assist companies
in finding trade leads.
Public policy and statistics
The U.S. Department of Commerce uses detailed census statistics on products
produced and materials consumed in manufacturing in updating its "input-
output tables". These tables are basic to updating the national income and
product accounts, including the gross domestic product.
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