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How to Write a Business Plan
Mentoring and Advice
Need extra help? We can put you in touch with a SCORE Mentor or legal help to get answers.
- SCORE appointmentsBoston SCORE provides
free and Confidential business advice
from experienced business professionals
at the Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center. Book an appointment here.
Who are my Customers?
Discovering a potential customers' habits and preferences can give you insights on how you can market your products and services and how you can differentiate yourself from your competition. Think about:
- Where do your customers live?
- How much expendable income do they have?
- Do they use public transportation or do they drive?
- Do your customers use social media? Which Services?
- What kind of media do your customers consume?
These questions along with age, marriage status, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, etc., can help build a nuanced picture of your customer that you can use to make informed decision about your business.
Finding Customer Data
On the Web: There are a number of web resources you can use to help you learn about your customers' demographics and behaviors.
- American FactfinderProvides population, housing and demographic datas based on the decennial census. There are many special reports.
- American Customer Satisfaction IndexMeasures the satisfaction of U.S. household consumers with the quality of products and services offered by firms with significant share in U.S. markets
- Consumer Expenditure SurveyProvides information on the range of consumers' expenditures and incomes, as well as the characteristics of those consumers
- Survey of Consumer SentimentThe Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI) uses telephone surveys to gather information on consumer expectations regarding the overall economy.
With your Library Card: From your home or office you can use these library resources to find customer profiles and demographic information.
- DemographicsNow: Business and People This link opens in a new windowProduces detailed demographic reports and mapping to visualize trends.
At the Library: Use this resource at the library to learn about sports and sporting goods consumers.
- Sports Market Analytics by SBRnet This link opens in a new windowSBRnet provides a source of sports market analytics. It offers a comprehensive perspective of the sports business, drawing on syndicated and custom proprietary market research, industry reports, and licensed industry articles from leading trade publications. No remote access.