Q: My husband I are choosing a location for our new business. What are some sources for demographic information that can help us?
A: First, specifically define your target customer. This will include age, family size, income and other demographic information.
Once you have a customer profile, go to the U.S. Census fact finder Web site at
http://factfinder.census.gov.
There you can put in various parameters like ZIP codes to get general census data for income, family size, age and other information. Use this to identify general geographical areas that fit your customer profile.
Drive around the areas to see what you think. Check phone books to find the number of similar or supporting businesses. Also contact the local chamber of commerce to find out about an area’s trends, such as whether the area is a growing or declining market.