NFIB

One-Stop Shop
01/ 13/ 2006
by Meredith Berger

As much as Dr. Joe Webb hates to give one of his trade secrets away, he’s found a Web site that is just too great of a resource to keep to himself. The Census Bureau site, http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/recent.htm , houses all of the latest business-related government reports. It also includes links to economic reports from several other government departments, making the site an all-inclusive go-to point for every savvy small-business owner.

“This site’s greatest value is that you have access to business data from the Census and other departments all in one place, rather than having to go to every agency’s site or hope that Google finds something,” says Webb, whose company, Strategies for Management (http://www.drjoewebb.com ) in Harrisville, R.I., does economic forecasting and analysis, mostly for the printing and publishing industry. “There are links to so many departments, I don’t have to bookmark other departments’ sites.”

Use this site to get the skinny on the business climate in your area. Find out how many businesses of your type are in your area, how your industry as a whole is performing or pinpoint your financial standing by comparing your quarterly reports to those of your industry as a whole. You can also keep tabs on any other economic reports that relate to your business.

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