If you can click a mouse, you can make your own Web page with no special training. In addition, you can change or update your page at any time. Toy does not make a profit off this venture, but operates it at cost to assist small businesses to take advantage of the Web's power and convenience. With point and click technology, having a Web page is both doable and affordable. They are overwhelmed by this seemingly daunting task that can be accomplished by a few phone calls.
Trade associations are an excellent source for obtaining industry-specific marketing data.
Because much of the information is reported in percentages, you will be able to obtain data relating to typical gross and net margins for comparable size ventures and average sales and marketing expenditures. Visit a library and ask for Volume 1 of the Encyclopedia of Associations. It contains detailed contact information on various trade associations. Trade associations maintain membership lists of similar businesses and publish trade journals that contain valuable information on industry trends, market surveys and forecasts. Advertisements in trade journals also can be a valuable but often overlooked source of information on your competition.