A free online toolset has been released under the government’s improved services to business initiative, which promises to give easier access to business information.

“Business Toolbox has been designed with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in mind, but it is a free online tool that anyone can access,” said Deputy Government Statistician Patrick Ng. "The SME sector is spread across the country, so we have incorporated a visual mapping tool that will allow a broad audience to understand the data applicable to their industry and geography."

The set contains two online tools: Market Mapper, which can be used to find target markets and potential customers, and Industry Profiler, which provides details on industry performance over time, staff turnover, and survival of similar-sized businesses.

Statistics New Zealand says that businesses can use its toolset to search for their particular industry and view information that includes “survival rates and new and ceased businesses” by region over the last five years. It will also be possible to view average employee earnings, and total jobs filled in the industry.

Another use of the Market Mapper could be to create a density map of target customers by selecting a number of characteristics, such as age, income, household composition, and family type.

The project is part of the government’s improved services to business initiatives, says Ng adding, “After talking with a wide range of small business owners and advisors we came up with the concept of the business toolbox to provide relevant information that was fast, easy to access, and collated a variety of information.”

You can find out more information on Business Toolbox here.