WELLINGTON: Statistics New Zealand has launched a new section on its website aimed at helping small business find information about their competitors and target markets. The small business toolbox gives people access to information that was largely already available on the Statistics NZ website but was often difficult to find.
People wanting to start or grow a business can look for financial details of the industry in their area or use it to pinpoint which locations might be fertile ground for a business.For example, a business selling a product aimed at women aged 35-44 who earn more than $50,000 can use the market mapper tool to see that the densest populations of potential customers are in Auckland, Wellington and Nelson.
Someone wanting to start a rental company can check the prevalence, average size and survival rate of other similar business in their area.Statistics NZ says people can also use the tools to help estimate their market share or total market size, which might be useful when applying for a bank loan or gauging the potential for growth.
Steel products suppliers Steel & Tube uses the information to help forecast trends in the demand for steel, gauge the size of the steel market, its market share and the size of its competitors.On a smaller scale Statistics NZ gives the example of a DVD store owner in Wellington getting the latest regional consumer spending data on video and DVD rentals by age group to work out what her share of the market is.Statistics NZ offers a help service for people who cannot find what they want online. Most of the information is available free.
