1. 1st Annual Alabama Data Conference
Accessing Census Bureau Data – Introducing Census Business Builder: Small Business & Regional Analyst Editions
1st Annual Alabama Data Conference
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Presented by:
Andrew W. Hait
U.S. Census Bureau

2. A Change in Customer Focus
Serving our customers
“Power Users” vs Others
Underserved customers
Small businesses and entrepreneurs
Regional Planning groups
Ongoing tool changes
We’ve served power users well in the past
Knowledgeable about Census programs
Statistically savvy
Patient
Haven’t served more entry-level users well, but beginning to see a shift in this focus with changes to our tools (plus new ones)

3. Census Business Builder Guiding Principles
Easy to use
Customer focused
Census data and more
Leverage existing Census investments and current technologies
Free
Easy to use (4 steps, no complex Census terminology, etc.)
Customers involved in tool design an content from onset
ACS, EC, CBP, and NS data from Census PLUS consumer spending data from Esri (later versions will add users own data)
Small = transportable/personalizable
Esri investment, plus TIGERWeb and Census API

4. CBB Home Page Key Features: Tool Links
Key Features:
Tool Links
Flyers, Fact Sheets, FAQs, Help, Tutorial and Promo Videos

6. SBE Next Steps - Quarterly Updates
Audience expansion
More “Most Popular” industries
Full NAICS search
Content expansion
Additional demo and econ characteristics (from Census)
Additional 3rd party data
Functionality expansion
Expanded Dashboard, time series
“Add your own data” and mobile support

7. Leveraging CBB: Introducing the Regional Analyst Edition
Very similar demographic and economic data as SBE
Differences:
Economic data for an industry sector (instead of by individual industry )
Data for a user-defined region with data aggregation (not a single geographic area)
County and City/Town Reports
Released: January 2016

8. Splash page – Removes the industry selection (since this groups cares about all business types, not just one type) and simplifies the geo selection to just allow building regions from counties. (Other geos coming later.)

9. RAE Next Steps - Quarterly Updates
Audience expansion
3-digit NAICS detail
Region built from Cities/Towns
Content expansion
Additional demo and econ characteristics (from Census)
Additional 3rd party data
Functionality expansion
Expanded Dashboard, time series
“Add your own data” and mobile support

10. Closing
Census Demo and Economic data can be extremely useful to planners
Easy access is key…
Use CBB and help us promote it
Pass the word to your colleagues
Send us Feedback!
What should we add?

11. Questions?

12. Andrew.W.Hait@census.gov (301)763-6747
Thank You!
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