Business mentor: Small business data at your fingertips on Statistics NZ site

I'm sure Statistics New Zealand must have lots of information that could be useful for my small business. How do I access it and how much does it cost?

Small business sector specialist Sarah Trotman asked Statistics New Zealand's information centre manager, Claire Gardiner, for some advice.

People often have a general idea of what Statistics NZ offers, but are not aware of just how much information it has to help them with their business needs. Whether you own an existing business or plan to set up a new business, Statistics NZ has a range of information that can help you.

* Looking for information about your local market?

Go to our website and search for 'community profiles'. These profiles cover a range of variables such as people's age, income and education, as well as the number of businesses in your area. Businesses can use data like this to work out the size and characteristics of their target market.

* What's happening to businesses in your region?

The Business Demographic Statistics, published annually, are a great source of information that can improve your planning, policy development and marketing, and help estimate market share and evaluate potential market opportunities. The data is easily accessed through our web-based tool, Table Builder. You can use it to create tables to show the number of businesses and employees from 2000 to 2005, allowing you to make comparisons over time.

* Want to find out if prices are increasing?

Inflation measures produced by Statistics NZ are another useful source of information. The consumers price index, labour cost index and other measures give businesses an indication of the cost of living, and how much money consumers have to spend on goods and services. They also give businesses an idea of how much to pay staff.

* What are the latest import/export trends?

Businesses can access import and export data through Table Builder on our website. This data identifies the countries that trade with New Zealand as well as the commodities traded.

All information published on the Statistics NZ website is available free of charge.

If you require customised information that isn't available on our website, a minimal cost is charged.

* For more information contact Statistics NZ toll-free on 0508 525 525 or use the email link below.