LibGuides: Entrepreneurial Small Business Management: Market research

Market research

Set your small business up for success by studying your target market. Learn more about market trends and about your customers' purchasing power and habits using the featured resources.

Search tip: Visit the Census Academy for Video Tutorials

Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of census data available? Learn how to find exactly what you are looking for with the video tutorials available at Census Academy.

Demographics

Census Bureau Data
United States population demographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Pew Research Center
This website contains survey reports, demographic studies, and data-driven analysis.
United Nations Demographic Yearbook
This demographic data is collected by the United Nations.

Tracking the economy

Economy at a Glance
Unemployment, Consumer Price Index, both national and state-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Overview of the U.S. Economy
GDP by industry, GDP by State, Personal Income, International Investment and Trade, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis
Tracking the Global Economy
This website provides charts on current trends for certain economic indicators, from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Small Business Association (SBA) Market Research and Competitive Analysis

This guide from the Small Business Administration (SBA) will help you navigate available market research data available from the United States government with a focus on the data that is the most applicable to the needs of a seedling business.

Consumer behavior

American Time Use Survey
This survey administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing.
Consumer Search
This website offers an analysis of important product trends and developments for users to browse.
ESRI Tapestry Segmentation
This freely-available, interactive website allows you to search for brief synopses of the lifestyle choices of those who make up specific zip codes or neighborhoods.
Nielson Company Ratings
This website offers TV, online and mobile audience measurements including rankings and ratings in consumer media and marketing behavior.
Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends
This project studies behaviors and attitudes of Americans in key realms of their lives, including family, community, health, finance, work and leisure. The project explores these topics by combining original public opinion survey research with social, economic and demographic data analysis.
Who's Buying series
This ebook series including in-depth tables outlining consumer behavior in the United States.
American Customer Satisfaction Index
This index measures the satisfaction of consumers from households in the United States. It assesses products and services both domestic and global.

Consumer expenditure data - How much your target customers spending?

National Consumer Expenditures Report 2019

map of united states

Explore more consumer expenditure data gathered in the Consumer Expenditure Survey by visiting https://www.bls.gov/cex/. Having trouble navigating the data? Email your librarian at rstucky@bethelks.edu.

Map of midwest United States

Kansas Consumer Expenditure Table 1997-2019

Kansas Chamber Consumer & Business Spending Dashboard