In the August 2016 edition of the Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois, Julie Shields, director of Millikin University's Center for Entrepreneurship, weighed in on the importance of connecting quickly and effectively with customers by understanding their needs, aspirations and trends they follow.
"So, where can an entrepreneur or business owner learn about these things without talking to prospective customers every day for six months? Enter Demographics Now, a powerful research database for businesses," Shields says.
Libraries in Decatur, Ill., Mount Zion, Ill., and Forsyth, Ill., all provide access to the database from their websites. The respective library districts and a number of local business groups have collaborated to bring this resource to Decatur.
"Let's say you are considering opening a breakfast restaurant," Shields says. "You can search by ZIP code or enter a specific address to find out how much households within that area actually spent on breakfast and brunch in 2015. You can also view predictive trend data given the trends of breakfast and brunch expenditures in the area."
The database is available for free to anyone who lives within the public library districts of Decatur, Forsyth and Mount Zion and has a valid library card. Millikin's Staley Library has a reciprocal agreement with Decatur Public Library, so students can take their Millikin ID to the Decatur Public Library, get a card and gain access to the database.
Click here to read more from Julie Shields in the latest installment of the Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois.