Patent ID: 7043445

Claim:
A data processor implemented method for determining a demand for a product or service offered by at least one business located in a market area, the method comprising: receiving a location input for the at least one business; determining a plurality of potential customer locations using at least one demographic information system database comprising census data related to the market area; calculating travel times from the business location to each of the plurality of potential customer locations; determining a demand for the business based on the travel times from the business location to each of the plurality of potential customer locations in the market area; deriving an empirical demand correction factor by sampling demand data from at least within the market area; determining a modified demand for the business using the empirical demand correction factor; determining a supply of the product or service in the market area; deriving an empirical supply correction factor by sampling supply data from at least within the market area; determining a modified supply of the product or service based on the empirical supply correction factor; and determining a net demand for the product or service offered by at least one business in the market area based at least on the modified demand and the modified supply using the data processor.