Research Gives Businesses a Competitive Advantage

In today's value-oriented business marketplace, research is the tool that differentiates one business from the next. Research separates the traditional businessperson, who uses a cookie-cutter approach to serving customer needs (and so competes by offering the lowest price), from the successful customer-centric, value-based businessperson who knows how to find relevant, credible objective information and apply it to uniquely solving a customer's problem.

"Good research is a way to see, move, innovate, perform, compete and add value within the existing and evolving information and communications technology matrix," says Sam Richter, president of the James J. Hill Reference Library in St. Paul, Minn. (www.jjhill.org).

He notes that the primary task for every individual and business is, at minimum, to keep up, and at best to look ahead and create a new and informed path into the future, a path made clear through relevant information, derived through efficient and targeted research.

But finding the necessary research can be a challenge for small companies. While the explosion of information on the Internet gives the illusion that it's easy to find the answer to any question, in reality, it is not that easy for businesspeople to find the research they need.

"While many good search engines are able to locate mass quantities of potentially valuable and useful data, the most pertinent information is often either held under cyber lock-and-key in subscription databases, buried in layers of citations, or available only to those with the financial means and expertise to find it," says Richter.

He offers the following tips on finding the information you're looking for:

* If you're using a search engine like Google or Yahoo, use the "advanced search" function. Spending 20 extra seconds on the form can save you 20 minutes of reading results since you will receive a more targeted response.

* Go to a government Web site. The U.S. government is the largest producer of information in the world. The gateway to the majority of statistics and data collected by the federal government is www.fedstats.gov.

* Search the invisible Web. Much business information is not searchable by index search engines like Google. These sites represent approximately 80 percent of the content available on the Internet. Try www.invisibleweb.com or www.lii.org to find this information.

* Check out vortal sites. A vertical portal (vortal) is a Web site that has compiled information on one topic. It will often have a list of links, or favorite sites related to that particular topic. To find a vortal, go to Google and type in the name of the industry you're searching. Then add in quotation marks "list of links" (e.g. "plastics industry" + "list of links").

Even with these search tips, looking for information yourself or having a staff member do it can be costly. According to a number of recent polls, the typical employee with Internet access spends 1 1/2 hours per day online looking for business information. "If that employee generates $50 an hour for their employer, this means $19,500 a year in lost opportunity cost trying to find information online," notes Richter.

That's why it makes sense to use professional researchers like the staff at the James J. Hill Reference Library. Through its HillResearch program (www.hillresearch.org), the Library puts expert information specialists at your disposal. You'll get relevant, objective information that you need to succeed while saving time and money.

"You could spend hours of your time 'surfing' the Web, hoping you find something of value," adds Richter.  "Or you could let the best information specialist in the nation find exactly what you need while you focus on growing your business."

The Library's information specialists leverage the collection of the nation's premier business library to answer your tough business questions. HillResearch is billed at $100 per hour, and many questions can be answered in one to two hours.

To start using this powerful tool, go to www.hillresearch.org and fill out and submit the online order form, or call (651) 265-5500 for more information.

Copyright © 2005, ARA Content