^{By: Kellen Gracey, Sr. Data Scientist, Venture Forward}

GoDaddy’s Venture Forward was pleased to present its work and announce the new Microbusiness Data Hub at the recent Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Annual Conference and Forum.

The 2022 conference, titled The Road Ahead: Using Data to Pave the Way, focused on how communities and economic researchers can use data to accomplish their objectives. The Venture Forward team presented on the panel, Open Business Data with the U.S. Census Bureau, who shared new data soon to be released. The panel lasting a little more than an hour, was hosted both in-person and online with roughly 80 participants and included a robust Q&A session at the end.

The new Microbusiness Data Hub launched by GoDaddy provides an easy way to access three distinct datasets:

1. Microbusiness density
2. Owner surveys
3. Microbusiness activity index

The first captures microbusinesses and provides population-adjusted density figures; the second represents the survey data collected of over 17,000 entrepreneurs since 2019; the third assesses a community’s readiness to support microbusinesses, the extent microbusinesses are already present, and how active those microbusinesses are – in one handy index score over time.

The first captures microbusinesses and provides population-adjusted density figures; the second represents the survey data collected of over 17,000 entrepreneurs since 2019; the third assesses a community’s readiness to support microbusinesses, the extent microbusinesses are already present, and how active those microbusinesses are – in one handy index score over time.

Explore the Daddy Microbusiness Data Hub

Updated quarterly, the Data Hub is a first of its kind resource, including the latest qualitative and quantitative microbusiness activity data across the US, all available for download.

Visit The Data Hub

The presentation focused on how researchers can leverage these datasets in their own work, their own community assessments, and in collaborations. During the panel, Venture Forward highlighted research connecting microbusinesses and their activity to various economic outcomes. Unemployment, job creation, median household income, prosperity, and county economic output are all affected positively by microbusinesses. The team discussed how the survey data can be used to build out various segments, such as microbusinesses of necessity vs. opportunity, or newer vs. older businesses and inform the allocation of funds and programming.

Other highlights from the C2ER conference included industry-leading keynotes, training classes and breakout sessions, the annual State Economic Researchers’ Roundtable, presentation of the annual Community & Economic Research Awards and Charles Benefield Award, and opportunities to build important networks within the research community. Sponsors and exhibitors showcased their latest products and services in the exhibit hall.

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