THE BUSINESS RESEARCHER NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

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March 22, 2002 Volume 5, Number 3

CONTENTS

* Introduction - Editor's Comments

* What's New at www.gdsourcing.com

* Statistics Canada releases

* Researching a New Car Purchase

* Who Works From Home?

* Small Business Stats Facts

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INTRODUCTION - EDITOR'S COMMENTS

Hello,

Thank you for your subscription. 

It is nice to finally see 2001 Census results online.  The Statistics
Canada interface looks promising but of course only the detail of
subsequent content will tell how useful it will be.  Give it a try:
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/release/index.cfm

In other news, I have not yet won by "rolling up the rim" but I will
continue to consume copious amounts of coffee in the hopes of a free donut!
 Isn't marketing a wonderful tool to drive sales!

I hope you find this issue helpful.

Sincerely,

John White

Editor
 

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WHAT'S NEW AT www.GDSOURCING.COM - PIRATES, INJURIES & BRICKLAYING   

The following web sites were added to the GDSourcing index over the last
three weeks.  GDSourcing is a reference point for free Canadian statistics
on-line. 


ASSOCIATION OF WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARDS
Site: http://www.awcbc.org/
GDSourcing Site Summary: http://www.gdsourcing.com/works/AWCBC.htm
Number of Accepted Time-loss Injuries, Number of Fatalities, by Province


CANADIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST SOFTWARE THEFT
Site: http://www.caast.org/
GDSourcing Site Summary: http://www.gdsourcing.com/works/CAAST.htm
Software piracy rate and dollar losses by province


CON-X
Site: http://www.con-x.org/
GDSourcing Site Summary: http://www.gdsourcing.com/works/ConX.htm
Construction industry in Ontario

 

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STATISTICS CANADA RELEASES



Statistics Canada released the following statistics over the last three
weeks.  We have listed those releases we feel are of the most interest to
Canadian entrepreneurs. 

Very few of these statistics are available on-line.  The URL listed is a
direct link to the press release associated with the data.  It provides
contact and ordering information.

If you want to purchase any publication related to these releases please
see our web site: http://www.gdsourcing.com/works/StatCan.htm

We offer a 20% discount on most Stats Can publications and a 10% discount
on Stats Can electronic products.  For more information you can reach us at
[email protected].  Put "StatsCan" in the subject line of your e-mail.


AGRICULTURE


Livestock feed requirements study 1999 and 2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020311/d020311c.htm

Economic overview of farm incomes - all farms 1998
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020313/d020313d.htm

Farmers leaving the field 1999 to 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020222/d020222c.htm

Farm cash receipts 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020225/d020225b.htm


ARTS, CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION

Participation in cultural activities: The role of language
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020308/d020308e.htm

Periodical publishing 1998-1999
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020318/d020318f.htm


ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Labour productivity, hourly compensation and unit labour cost Fourth
quarter 2001 and annual 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020314/d020314b.htm

Private and public investment 2002 (intentions)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020227/d020227c.htm

Employment, earnings and hours December 2001 and annual 2001 (preliminary)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020227/d020227d.htm

National economic and financial accounts Fourth quarter 2001 and annual 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020228/d020228a.htm


HEALTH

Changes in unmet health care needs 2000/01
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020313/d020313a.htm


JUSTICE

Adult criminal court statistics 2000/01
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020314/d020314c.htm


MARKET

2001 Census - Population & Dwelling Counts
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020312/td020312.htm

Driven to excel: A portrait of Canada's workaholics 1998
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020311/d020311f.htm

Wealth inequality 1984 to 1999
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020222/d020222a.htm


PRIMARY

Sawmills and planing mills December 2001 and annual 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020305/d020305b.htm


TRADE

Retail trade December 2001 and annual 2001 (preliminary
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020221/d020221b.htm

Profile of Canadian exporters 1993 to 2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020225/d020225c.htm


TRANSPORTATION

Annual Survey of Water Carriers 1999
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020221/d020221m.htm

International travel account Fourth quarter 2001 and annual 2001
(preliminary)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020226/d020226a.htm
 

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RESEARCHING A NEW CAR PURCHASE


Most entrepreneurs think of research as only applying to their market and
competition.  Successful businesses however apply research resources to
every major decision

For many small and micro businesses, one of the principal corporate assets
is a motor vehicle.  It is a purchase decision that should not be based
solely on financing options, limited edition colours or zoom zoom ads.
There are numerous free resources on the Internet you can use to evaluate
whether or not a particular vehicle is appropriate for your needs.

Start you research with a general market overview.  If new cars are selling
poorly, dealers are more likely to be "flexible" in negotiations. The
monthly survey of new motor vehicle sales is available at the Statistics
Canada web site.  The most current highlights can be found in the Daily:
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020314/d020314a.htm


Annual data is available in their Canadian Statistics section:
http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/trade12.htm

If you are interested in the used car market you will have to spend $3 to
get quarterly used car sales data from the CANSIM database.  You will want
to use table 080-0010 http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.exe?CANSIMFile=CII/CII_1_E.HTM&RootDir=CII/&LANG=E

For a general overview of this market see the industry report The Used
Vehicle Market in Canada: http://www.ucda.org/

For an inventory of all vehicles on the road by model type (SUV, vans,
pick-up trucks etc.), model year and fuel type, see the Quarterly Canada
Vehicle Survey by Statistics Canada:
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/53F0004XIE/free.htm.

While the above sources provide insight into general market trends when you
are looking at purchasing a car you are more interested in individual
models and manufactures. 

If you want to compare the sales records of various models and makes use
Canada Newswire: http://www.newswire.ca/   Search on the company name using
the "Search News Releases by Organization" feature.  If you are not sure of
the parent corporate use the keyword search feature for the car model name.

The following is an example of the type of information provided:



Porsche Cars North America Reports February Sales For Canada; Porsche 911
Sales Set Record, Up 68 Percent

    ATLANTA, March 1 /CNW/ -- Porsche Cars North America, Inc., (PCNA),
importer and distributor of Porsche sports cars, today announced Canadian
retail sales for February totaled 65 cars, 6 percent less than in the same
period last year; however, Porsche 911 models sales were up 68 percent,
making it the best February in history for sales of that model.

    Porsche 911 sales set an all-time record for PCNA last year and are up
33 percent calendar year to date in Canada.  PCNA is operating on plan and
expects the trend to continue.
 

All the releases are usually combined in a single article in Canada's daily
newspapers (e.g. Globe & Mail, National Post) the day after the news
releases are made.  A commentary on the market is also provided. Sometimes
the data is even compiled in a table format so that you can compare all car
manufacturers or identify the top selling models. 


(E.g. see:
Auto sales hit record as buyers flock to deals
December gains drive 2001 tally 
Globe & Mail, January 04, 2002
Greg Keenan

(Use the Globeinvestor news search feature to find the above article:
http://www.globeinvestor.com/news/newsearch.html  - search on the headline)


Of course, just because everyone else is buying a particular car does not
mean that is it the right car for you and your company.  For example,
despite the 68% increase in Porsche 911 sales, GDSourcing will not be
buying one this year (and probably not next year).

In addition to sales figures you will also want to research service
records.  No one wants to buy a lemon. The Canadian Automobile Association
produces an Annual Vehicle Ownership Survey.  It includes overview data on
maintenance costs as well as most desired features of next vehicle.  Of
particular interest are the Frequency of Repair Data by make, model and
year.  You can view the report on-line at:
http://www.caa.ca/e/automotive/pdf/autopinion-03.pdf

You may also want to look at the winners of the CAA Pyramid Awards which
are given to one or more vehicles that have received top marks for quality
and reliability from vehicle owners themselves.
http://www.caa.ca/e/automotive/pyramid-awards.shtml

Theft and collision are a risk that every vehicle owner must face.  Before
you made a purchase make sure  your choice of car does not significantly
increase the odds against you.

Data at the Vehicle Information Centre of Canada allows you to compare
Collision Ratings, Theft Cost Ratings and Theft Frequency Ratings by car
type (2-door, 4-door, stations wagon, SUV, passenger van, pick-up trucks),
make and model.  You can access the How Cars Measure Up database at the
following address: http://www.vicc.com/English/MeasureUpContents.htm

The Canadian Automobile Association also provides basic data on the average
costs of operating a vehicle in Canada.  It includes data such as Average
annual operating cost per km (fuel, maintenance, tires) and Average annual
ownership costs (fixed) (insurance,  registration, depreciation, loan).
You can access this brief report here:
http://www.caa.ca/e/automotive/driving-costs.shtml
.pdf

Runzheimer Canada also provides data on motor vehicle costs for selected
models and cities.  See:

RUNZHEIMER CANADA ANALYZES 2002 CAR, VAN, SUV, AND LIGHT TRUCK COST
http://www.runzheimer.com/corpc/news/scripts/010302c.asp

MONTREAL, TORONTO, ST. JOHN'S THREE MOST COSTLY METRO AREAS TO DRIVE
http://www.runzheimer.com/corpc/news/scripts/042301c.asp

Of course one of the most significant and basic maintenance costs is fuel.
Find out how often you are going to have to fill up at the Office of Energy
Efficiency Auto Smart Web Site:
http://autosmart.nrcan.gc.ca/home_e.htm

Mileage data is provided by brand and make.

Finally if you want to compare weekly fuel costs by city across Canada
(either to make yourself feel better or worse!) see the MJ Ervin web site:
http://www.mjervin.com/public resources/WPPS_Public.htm  

An automobile purchase should not be made blindly.  Ample free resources
are available online to assess any make and model. So before you hit the
show room, sit down with a cup of coffee, roll up the rim and surf the net.
 The time spent now could save you a great deal of money later.

 

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WHO WORKS FROM HOME?


A recent Statistics Canada article provides a statistical portrait of
Canada's home based businesses.

There is no doubt that the home-based business is a growing phenomenon.  In
1991 it was estimated that there were 618,000 home-based businesses in
Canada.  In less than ten years (2000) that number has doubled to 1.3
million.   50% of all self-employed workers now operated their business out
of their home.

Typically home-based business operators are male (60.3%) and between the
ages of 25-54 (76.4%).  They are married (77.7%) but do not necessarily
have children (50% have children).  While the greatest number have a
university education (426,000 or 31.1%), home-based businesses operators
come from a variety of educational backgrounds.


The top 5 industries for home-based businesses are:

Professional, scientific, technical services: 17.8%
Agriculture: 12.1%
Trade: 10.2%
Health care & social assistance: 9.2%
Construction: 8.3%


The top 5 occupations for home-based businesses are:

Sales: 17.9%
Management: 16.2%
Business, finance, administrative: 13.9%
Occupations unique to primary industry: 13.2%
Artistic, culture, recreation, sport: 9.7%


Home-based business operators are quick adopters of technology.  In 2000
60.4% used a computer and 45.2% regularly used the Internet.  By 2001 75%
of SOHO (Small Office Home Office) businesses use the Internet and nearly
half of them (47%) have high-speed access. (RBC Financial survey released
in Jan 2002)

Further data on home-based business operators will be available when the
2001 Census results are fully released.  We will keep you informed of
further insights into this dynamic small business sub-sector as they become
available.

NB:  The above stats  were taken from the Statistics Canada article:
Evolution of the Canadian workplace: work from home (Perspectives on Labour
& Income, Winter 2001)
 

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SMALL BUSINESS STATS FACTS



Each Business Researcher Newsletter ends with a collection of five
statistics that every entrepreneur should be aware of. 


1. What percentage of SOHOs have RRSPs?

More SOHOs have RRSPs than do average Canadians. Seven out of 10 SOHOs own
RRSPs versus 5.7 out of 10 paid employees.

Source: Goldfarb Consultants (Feb 2002)



2. What % of Canadians have become so frustrated with a photocopier that
they have actually kicked or hit it?

12%

Source: Ipsos-Reid (Mar 12, 2002)



3.  What is the greatest irritation in the day to day life of Canadians?

Traffic (cited by 42% of those surveyed)

Source: Ipsos-Reid (Mar 11, 2002)



4. What business expectations do Canadian Small & Medium-sized Enterprises
have for 2002?

Much Weaker: 1.9%
Weaker: 15.2%
Same: 38.7%
Stronger: 37.1%
Much Stronger: 7.2%

Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Business (Jan 2002)



5. What is the Net number of new jobs expected to be created by SMEs in 2002?

It is estimated small businesses will create 250,000 net jobs this year.

Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Business (Jan 2002)
 

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G D S O U R C I N G - R E S E A R C H  &  R E T R I E V A L

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