These days, most people would say that government and business are on opposite sides of the table. Most entrepreneurs are looking to make a good living for their families while government seems concerned about getting a larger and larger share of those earnings through taxation and fees. However, many business owners do not know the treasure trove of help that the United States government has to offer. Here are just a couple of ways Uncle Sam can help you succeed in business.
Governments are primarily designed to keep order through public safety initiatives. No one denies the efficacy of professionals in the fire protection, emergency services, or law enforcement sectors. But there is another area where the government excels: the collection and presentation of a tremendous amount of useful data. The best part is that access to this data is free. For small business owners in the Baldwin Park area, this information can be a 24/7 goldmine. The Bureau of Economic Analysis, for example, is a unit of the Department of Commerce and tracks economic data and indicators on a national, regional, and local level. Users have free access to the information and can set their own parameters depending on what type of data they need.
The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks vital information on demographics and population profiles. For small business owners and other entrepreneurs, the data can provide key insights into consumer behavior and prove indispensable in business analysis activities such as market segmentation. Tracking economic and labor data will help entrepreneurs get one step closer to their markets and one step ahead of their competition.
Fortunately, you do not have to be a professional statistician to find the information useful. They are designed for people to mine the data for what they need and many of these government portals feature user-friendly tutorials. Whatever your view on the role of government, taking advantage of these free access data systems can help give you insights into the economy as well as insights into your future customers.
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