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THE BUSINESS RESEARCHER NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
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November 14, 2003 Volume 6, Number 8
CONTENTS
* Introduction - Editor's Comments
* What's New at www.gdsourcing.com
* Statistics Canada releases
* Researching the Food Products Sector
* Put the U.S. Government on your Research Team
* Small Business Stats Facts
RETURN
TO ARCHIVES
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INTRODUCTION - EDITOR'S COMMENTS
Hello,
Welcome to this issue of the BR newsletter. I know, I know, we are
very late again! We have finally settled into our new place and
unpacked most of the boxes! It is our fourth move in 6 years. This
time I think we will actually set down roots. After "pulling only
a few hairs out" we have convinced Bell to keep all of our
telephone contact information the same. Our mailing address has
not changed either.
We have added three free business calculators to our site to help
you assess your business performance:
1. Business Resource Finder: displays a list of sample plans,
articles, and other resources that match your business type.
2. Starting Costs Calculator: helps you evaluate how much capital
you'll need to start your business.
3. Cash Flow Calculator: shows you how business-to-business sales,
carrying inventory, and rapid growth can absorb a business' money.
To try out these new features see:
https://www.gdsourcing.ca/SBDC.htm#Plans
We are also happy to now be able to offer full 2001 Census
profiles at a 15% discount off of the Statistics Canada price.
Profiles are available for municipalities, Census Tracts and
Postal Geographies. For more information see:
https://www.gdsourcing.ca/SBDC.htm#Census
The latest version of Statistics Canada's Market Research Handbook
was released on November 12th. The handbook is designed to be a
comprehensive source of socio-economic statistics for all those
who study the Canadian consumer market - market researchers,
strategists, product planners and sales leaders. We are again
offering this compendium publication at a 20% discount off the
cover price. For more information see:
https://www.gdsourcing.ca/MarketResearchHandbook.htm
Finally I should mention that I along with many other users have
been experiencing on-going difficulties accessing the Industry
Canada Strategis web site. For whatever reason their server has
become very unstable (e.g. you get a lot of "page not founds",
"gateway timeouts" or missing graphics). I have found however that
if you click on reload or refresh in your browser or try again
later you often will get through. I am assuming this is a
temporary problem that will be rectified very soon. I am giving
you this warning just in case you rush out to try to access some
of the sources listed below and find them unavailable.
I hope you find this issue helpful.
John White
GDSourcing - Research & Retrieval
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WHAT'S NEW AT
www.GDSOURCING.COM - RUBBER, LIGHTNING, FISH &
BROADBAND
THE RUBBER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
Site: http://www.rubberassociation.ca/
Site Summary: https://www.gdsourcing.ca/works/Rubber.htm
Monthly & Annual Tire Shipment Data
LIGHTNING HOT SPOTS IN CANADA
Site:
http://www.msc.ec.gc.ca/education/lightning/index_e.html
Site Summary:
https://www.gdsourcing.ca/works/Lightning.htm
Includes lightning activity in major cities in Canada
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT
Site: http://ocad-bcda.gc.ca/
Site Summary: https://www.gdsourcing.ca/works/OCAD.htm
Aquaculture Research & Statistics
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS UNION
Site: http://www.itu.int/home/index.html
Site Summary: https://www.gdsourcing.ca/works/ITU.htm
International statistics by individual country on Internet
penetration rates, Telephone subscriber rates, Broadband use etc.
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STATISTICS CANADA RELEASES
The following statistics were released by Statistics Canada over
the last two months. 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
Manure storage in Canada 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030912/d030912b.htm
National supply and disposition of major grains 1999/2000 to
2002/03
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031022/d031022f.htm
Food consumption 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031016/d031016b.htm
ARTS & CULTURE
Performing arts 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030909/d030909a.htm
Cable and satellite television 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031024/d031024a.htm
BUSINESS SERVICES
Research and development personnel 1991 to 2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031107/d031107c.htm
CONSTRUCTION
Electric utility construction price indexes
Annual 2002 (revised) and first half 2003 (preliminary)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031024/d031024d.htm
DEMOGRAPHICS
Aboriginal Peoples Survey: Well-being of the non-reserve
Aboriginal population 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030924/d030924b.htm
Deaths 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030925/d030925c.htm
Ethnic Diversity Survey 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030929/d030929a.htm
Intercensal and postcensal population estimates by age and sex,
July 1, 1971 to 2003
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031106/d031106c.htm
Migration 2001/02
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030925/d030925d.htm
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
Foreign control in the Canadian economy 2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031105/d031105b.htm
Impact of the Ontario-US power outage on hours worked August 14 to
31, 2003
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031030/d031030b.htm
Industrial diversity of Canadian cities 1992 to 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031027/d031027c.htm
Provincial and territorial economic accounts 1999 to 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031106/d031106a.htm
Study: Mad cow disease and Canada's trade in beef 2003
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031105/d031105a.htm
EDUCATION
Adult education and training 1998
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031015/d031015b.htm
British Columbia university graduates: Earnings over time
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030926/d030926c.htm
Parental work, child-care use and young children's cognitive
outcomes
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031023/d031023a.htm
Intellectual property commercialization in the higher education
sector 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031020/d031020d.htm
Postsecondary Education Participation Survey 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030910/d030910b.htm
School enrolments and teaching staff 1999/2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030918/d030918e.htm
Survey of earned doctorates
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031024/d031024g.htm
Family income and participation in postsecondary education 1980 to
2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031003/d031003b.htm
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Greenhouse gas emissions in the Canadian economy 1981 to 2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030916/d030916b.htm
Energy supply and demand 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031002/d031002a.htm
HEALTH
Children who become active 1994/95 to 1998/99
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031106/d031106b.htm
Factors related to adolescents' self-perceived health 2000/01
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031031/d031031b.htm
Parent and child factors associated with youth obesity 2000/01
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031103/d031103a.htm
Health of rural Canadians 2000/01
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031021/d031021c.htm
Participation and Activity Limitation Survey 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030911/d030911c.htm
Research and development in the health field 1988 to 2002
(preliminary)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030922/d030922f.htm
Residential care facilities 1999/2000 to 2001/02
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030929/d030929d.htm
HOSPITALITY
Government revenue attributable to tourism 1998
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030919/d030919b.htm
INCOME
Earnings of immigrant workers and Canadian-born workers 1980-2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031008/d031008a.htm
Family wealth across the generations 1984 to 1999
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031016/d031016a.htm
Registered retirement savings plan contributions 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031023/d031023b.htm
Savers, investors and investment income 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031028/d031028b.htm
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Informatics professional services price indexes 2001/02
(preliminary)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031028/d031028d.htm
Study: Knowledge workers in Canada's workforce 1971-2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031030/d031030a.htm
INTERNET
Household Internet Use Survey 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030918/d030918b.htm
Broadband: High-speed access to the Internet 1999 to 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030923/d030923b.htm
JUSTICE
Custodial remand 1986/87 to 2000/01
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030926/d030926b.htm
Homicides 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031001/d031001a.htm
Impaired driving and other traffic offences 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031107/d031107b.htm
Crime statistics: Additional detailed information 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031027/d031027b.htm
MANUFACTURING
Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals Survey 2003
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031006/d031006c.htm
NON-PROFIT
Charitable donors 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031029/d031029b.htm
PRIMARY
Aquaculture statistics 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031030/d031030c.htm
Logging 2000 and 2001
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030923/d030923c.htm
Oil and gas extraction industry: capital and operating
expenditures 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031023/d031023c.htm
Oil and gas extraction industry: Volume and value of marketable
production 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031023/d031023d.htm
TRANSPORTATION
Airport activity statistics 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030930/d030930e.htm
Financial and operational statistics for railways 2001
(preliminary)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031029/d031029d.htm
Fuel sales for road motor vehicles 2002
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030912/d030912d.htm
WORKPLACE
Working hours in Canada and the United States 1979 to 2000
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030911/d030911b.htm
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RESEARCHING THE FOOD PRODUCTS SECTOR
Researching the food products sector can be frustrating. It is not
a matter of lack of data but rather its price. Most new
entrepreneurs and small businesses have limited research budgets.
Knowing that detailed figures exist but being unable to even
contemplate a purchase can be very frustrating.
Do not despair! There are a few sources where for free or low cost
you can still gather insights into your market.
The best place to get a basic overview of a food product market is
the trade section of the Industry Canada Strategis web site. (http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/engdoc/tr_homep.html)
Start with the data presented by industry. The North American
Industry Classification System provides a great deal of detail
within the food-manufacturing sector (e.g. 311823 - Dry Pasta
Manufacturing). Using the apparent domestic market feature at the
above web site you can get an idea of the size and growth of the
overall market in Canada. You can also get an idea of what
percentage of manufacturer shipments are exported and the market
share held by imported products.
Also look at the trade data by product section of the above site.
This data is more detailed than by industry. However it only
covers total imports and exports by province and country/state. It
does not include domestic manufacturing shipments so you are
unable to determine domestic market size. Nevertheless, import and
export trends in the food products market can help identify
foreign competitors and new markets outside of Canada.
In combination with the import data look at the Importers Database
http://strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/cid/engdoc/index.html This
database identifies the top importers of specific products into
Canada. It can help you identify competitors as well as potential
clients.
Canadian Industry Statistics are also available at the Strategis
web site. These are brief profiles by North American Industry
Classification.
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/canadian_industry_statistics/cis.nsf/IDE/cis311defe.html
Some of the data here is duplicated from above (e.g. imports and
exports) while other data is new (manufacturing costs, employment,
business counts)
NB: in regards to difficulties accessing the Strategis web, please
see Editors Comments at the beginning of this newsletter.
The Agriculture & Agri-food Canada web site provides similar
profiles by industry sector for food manufacturers (e.g. The
Canadian Bottled Water Industry, The Canadian Confectionery
Industry, The Canadian Snack Food Industry). Much of the data is
the same as at the Strategis web site however here you will find
insights into issues and challenges for the sector. Information on
departmental contacts as well as related industry associations is
provided so you can follow up for more information.
In addition to industry data, the Agriculture & Agri-food Canada
web site also has some specific market reports. The information is
dated but specific. (E.g. Influence of Immigration on The Ethnic
Food Market in Canada - published 2001) You can access the reports
at the following address:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/food/consumer/mrkreports/reports_e.html
Industry financial benchmarks for food processors which
specifically track small business performance are available from
our Canadian Industry Profiles
https://www.gdsourcing.ca/SBDC.htm#CIP). They provide financial
ratios identifying how the best, average and worst businesses have
performed. They also include the percentage of businesses that are
profitable.
Statistics Canada's most comprehensive source for food production
and consumption is the publication "Canada Food Stats". It is a
semi-annual electronic compendium that allows you to access a wide
variety of food statistics quickly and easily. You can access some
highlights at the Statistics Canada web site:
http://www.statcan.ca/english/ads/23F0001XCB/index.htm. The
full version of this publication is available in some major
libraries. If you are interested in purchasing it we offer a 15%
discount off the cover price. (E-mail us for more information.)
Related to Canada Food Stats is the publication "Food Statistics".
It provides annual data on per person food consumption by major
group, food consumed by commodity and nutrients available from the
Canadian food supply. Best of all it is available online free of
charge!
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/21-020-XIE/free.htm
Another Statistics Canada source is "Food expenditure in Canada".
This survey provides detailed weekly household expenditures on
specific items. (e.g. Bologna). Results are presented by region
and household income, with summary data by household type. You can
purchase the electronic publication for $30 (contact us for more
information
[email protected]) or access it in a major library. The
publication also includes information on restaurant expenditures
by restaurant type and meal (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner).
Highlight data from this publication is available at the
Statistics Canada web site (http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/famil27a.htm)
Also available from Statistics Canada are price movements by
specific commodity (e.g. soup). This data allows you to determine
the inflation rate for your specific product in selected
metropolitan areas. You can access this information through the
CANSIM database. Enter the Table number 326-0001 at the following
address:
http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/CNSMCGI.EXE There is a $3.00
charge per commodity retrieved.
Finally Statistics Canada has a number of specific reports and
surveys related to this sector. Some of the most current include:
Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals Survey 2003
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031006/d031006c.htm
Advanced technology and firm performance in the food processing
sector
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030603/d030603a.htm
Innovative activity in Canadian food processing establishments:
The importance of engineering practices
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/991125/d991125e.htm
In the private sector, AC Nielsen is one of the top firms tracking
food sales. At their web site (http://www.acnielsen.ca/Insights/insights.htm)
you can access relatively current (rolling 52 Weeks to December
28, 2002) growth rates for specific product categories. For
example the data indicates that in grocery stores Soya Drinks have
experienced a growth rate of over 15% from the previous year.
Other data at the AC Nielsen web site includes the top twenty
grocery store categories as well as a 2001 study on the beverage
sector.
Detailed AC Nielsen data covering retail sales by commodity is
also available from the Agriculture & Agri-food Canada web site:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/food/consumer/mrkreports/acnielsen/acnielsen_e.html
Other market specific information is available from the
Euromonitor (http://www.euromonitor.com/)
and Datamonitor (http://www.datamonitor.com)
web sites. Highlights from full reports are available under the
Canada sections of both these web sites. Some of these highlights
can be informative in and of themselves. For example from the
Datamonitor web site the following information is included in the
Sweet Biscuits report highlights.
"The Canadian sweet biscuits market has grown steadily since 1999,
reaching a value of $466 million in 2001. The market is forecast
to continue expanding at a similar rate as in recent years and is
predicted to reach a value of $516 million in 2006. The compound
annual growth rate of the market in the period 2002-2006 is
predicted to be 2%"
Industry associations can also be very helpful in assessing a
particular market or identifying issues within a specific food
sector. Follow up with all that are related to your product line.
A list of associations is available at the Agriculture & Agri-food
Sector web site:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/misb/fb/food/industryasso/industryassoc_e.html
Also do not neglect industry periodicals. They can often provide
insight into sales as well as market share. The two most prominent
for the food sector in Canada are Food in Canada and Canadian
Grocer. They often run special features or articles on specific
food product categories
Other periodicals of note are Marketing magazine and Strategy
magazine. Both of these publications are targeted towards the
advertising sector however food processors are major advertisers
so many articles focus on specific food markets. These can provide
key statistics such as granola bars were the top food snack
consumed by Canadian children at school in 2001 (Strategy Magazine
Sept 9, 2002 p1, p17). They can also provide insights into
marketing challenges related to a particular product type (e.g.
confectionary is often an impulse purchase made at the check out
counter so packaging design and strategy is paramount to influence
sales).
Make sure you also conduct a general search using a periodical
database at your local library. Most databases include the sources
mentioned above as well as many others. Within the general media
you can often locate specific information such as "85% of frozen
entrée buyers are looking to feed two people for less than $10"
(Profit Magazine (Nov 2003 p19-20)
A general periodical search will also help you to uncover specific
reports that have received media coverage. For example the City of
Toronto report Food Industry Outlook: A Study of Food Industry
Growth Trends in Toronto (http://www.toronto.ca/economic_profile/food.htm)
Most public libraries now allow you to access such databases from
home as long as you have a valid public library card. Visit your
local library's web site for details.
(http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/canlib/epublic.htm)
Finally do not forget to research regulations related to your
products. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency Acts and Regulations
web site can help you quickly find the information you need:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/reg/rege.shtml
You do not need to spend a great deal of money to gain a competent
understanding of your food products market. You do however need to
be prepared to look in a number of different places and be willing
to spend some time in the search.
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PUT THE US GOVERNMENT ON YOUR RESEARCH TEAM
PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately, as of Jan
2004 this resource is no longer available to Canadian companies.
The U.S. government likes to help American entrepreneurs succeed
in foreign markets (e.g. Canada). To this end they get local
embassy or consular staff to compile research reports on markets
and industries they consider to have potential. These profiles by
no means cover every market but those areas they do are in detail.
They rely on both government and private sector data and include
contact information for relevant sources.
You can access Canadian market reports at
http://www.buyusainfo.net/adsearch.cfm
Some recent reports include:
IT Outsourcing Services
(Canada - 09/29/2003)
Cosmetics and Toiletries
(Canada - 09/23/2003)
Hospital Medical Equipment
(Canada - 09/04/2003)
Management Consulting Services - Marketing Consultants
(Canada - 06/26/2003)
The Canadian Water Sports Equipment Industry
(Canada - 06/03/2003)
If you are considering exporting you can also use these reports to
assess foreign market potential (as long as the market is not the
U.S.) If you are looking into exporting to the U.S., the Canadian
government offers a similar service. You can access Canadian
foreign market reports at:
http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/ie-en/MarketReportsAndServices.jsp
Although many entrepreneurs will find this American resource does
not cover their specific market, the detail of the available
information makes it worth taking a moment for a quick search just
in case. Never leave any research stone unturned!
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SMALL BUSINESS STATS FACTS
Each Business Researcher Newsletter ends with a collection of five
statistics related to Canadian small businesses.
1. What % of Canadian women entrepreneurs are involved in
international business?
9%
Source: Prime Minister's Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs: Final
Report (Oct 2003)
2 What share of net new jobs created between 1983 & 2003 did micro
businesses (less than 5 employees) account for?
20.8% (972,000 jobs)
Source: Bank of Montreal (Oct 2003)
3. What % of Canadian small businesses were formed as a result of
a negative change or downturn in the entrepreneur's employment
situation?
22%
Source CIBC (Oct 2003)
4. What % of downsized small business owners are more successful
this year compared to last year?
46% (32% are the same as last year)
Source: CIBC (Oct 2003)
5. Which metropolitan area saw the greatest increase in
self-employment earnings between 1997 and 2001?
Sudbury (+36.3% of females and +24.1% for males)
Source: Statistics Canada (Sept 2003)
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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
* www.gdsourcing.com *
[email protected] *
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