That means knowing, among other things, who your customers are, where and how they live and how much money they make.

Census Bureau figures are a treasure trove of such information.

"The census is crucial to business," said Stephanie Lemme, economic development director at the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

"It's a great source for practically any information about the population and the economy," she said.

From basic demographics including age, race and gender, to what languages we speak and how many children we have, the census provides facts that help drive business.

This month, the Census Bureau will release general information including population, race and ethnicity based on the 2000 count. More specific information will follow this summer.

According to Lemme, businesspeople routinely use census data to formulate business and financial plans, to determine the market for goods and services, and gauge the competition.

Lemme said census data factors into her economic development work.

She uses census data to track business growth, types of businesses and suppliers, the average wage and level of education in Tucson.

That information translates into reports Lemme gives to businesses looking to relocate to the Old Pueblo.

The chamber also serves as a census data resource for local businesses.

"It can be cumbersome for small businesses to find the information they need, so our research department will help provide and interpret census information," Lemme said.

Alex O'Meara, director of marketing at Michael Bolchalk Marketing, said census information is at the core of any effective advertising or marketing campaign.

"In the business of crafting messages, it's important to get those messages to the right people. The census tells us who the right people are," he said.

O'Meara said he uses census data about population shifts, age, household income, ethnicity and education level when putting together marketing and advertising plans.

"The more you know about a person, the more effectively you'll be in communicating with them, and that's a definite plus in any business," he said.

Marshall Vest, an economist at the University of Arizona, said census data is invaluable to anyone with a product or service to sell.

"Everybody in business should be interested in what the census reveals. It has to do with everything, from marketing to facilities planning to putting together the strategy for your business," he said.

Vest said the UA Economic and Business Program at the Eller College of Business is a repository of census information.

The program archives and interprets census data and makes it available free to anyone who is interested, he said.

As census information becomes available, it will be posted on the program's website at www.ebr.eller.arizona.edu.

Copyright © 2001 Tucson Citizen