Business Statistics on the Web

Businesses maintain a wide array of information about the business they are in and the industries they compete in. On a regular basis data is collected and reported on topics such as profit and loss statements, financial ratios, customer satisfaction, product usage, and peer comparisons. This data is used by investors, potential investors, equipment financing companies and other lenders, industry analysts, and the businesses themselves.

By looking at business statistics such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets and historical data, investors can monitor the health of their investments in the companies, and determine whether they want to continue being an investor. Potential investors can use the same data to determine if the company is a viable investment option. Industries use data collected from businesses within the industry to evaluate the industries overall health, and to measure trends in growth. By tracking sales, expenses, profit, and satisfaction data, companies can view how they are performing, what opportunities are available for them, what the businesses strengths and weaknesses may be, and it assists in planning the future of the company.

To understand business statistics, resources are available to assist businesses.

Publications and Resources:

• Census Bureau – The U.S. Census Bureau provides a wide range of resources and information on business statistics derived from census data.
• Journal of Business and Economic Statistics – Several free resources pertaining to business and economics are available here.
• Business Guides – The Diamond Library of the University of New Hampshire provides a fine selection of business guides on a variety of topics.
• Market Research – This resource has statistical reports on many different areas of interest.
• Business Statistics Resources – A wide variety of resources from the Foster Business Library at the University of Washington.
• Market and Business Data – A selection of resources from BYU’s Harold B Lee Library.
• Business Resources Publication – This resource from the Sheridan Library at Johns Hopkins University provides a variety of information on business related topics.

Courses:

• Online Statistics Course – Online course offerings from the University of Baltimore on several business topics.
• Business Statistics Curriculum – PDF outlining the curriculum of a business statistics course.
• Business Statistics Tutorial – A free online tutorial covering business statistics topics.
• Forecasting in Business Statistics – The use of forecasting in understanding business statistics.
• Mailing Lists:
• Business Statistics Database – Resource desk of Global Edge International Business Statistics Database.
• Statistics for Business and Financial Economics – Join the mailing list from the author of a book about business statistics.

Discussion Groups:

• Business Statistics Users Group – This UK Gov site offers a forum for business statistics users.
• Discussion Group for Business Statistics – Yahoo discussion group on business statistics.
• ASQ Discussion Board – Board dealing with the future of business statistics.
• Quirks Discussion Forum – A marketing research discussion forum from quirks.com.

Business statistics provide a look at businesses and industries, and proper analysis of the statistics can be useful for businesses and outsiders.