PDA Event: Market Smarts: Using Social Explorer for Business and Entrepreneurship

Social Explorer is a powerful data and mapping tool that supports business research, market analysis, and economic decision-making. In this webinar, participants will learn how to use Social Explorer to access and interpret key datasets - including the Consumer Price Index (CPI), U.S. Census data, and the U.S. Business Patterns dataset - to answer real-world business questions.

The session led will demonstrate how Social Explorer can be used for business location analysis, market and demographic profiling, and understanding local economic trends. Attendees will explore practical use cases that support academic Business programs, such as student projects and coursework, as well as community-facing applications that help entrepreneurs, small business owners, and economic development partners make informed decisions.

Designed for librarians serving both academic and public audiences, this webinar will highlight strategies for teaching and promoting Social Explorer, translating complex data into clear insights, and positioning the resource as a bridge between campus research and community entrepreneurship. Participants will leave with concrete examples and ideas they can immediately apply in instruction, reference, and outreach.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and select relevant Social Explorer datasets (including CPI, U.S. Census data, and U.S. Business Patterns) to answer common business research questions related to market demand, location analysis, and local economic conditions.
• Create and interpret maps and data tables in Social Explorer to support business and entrepreneurship use cases such as demographic profiling and market analysis for student projects, business plans, and community inquiries.
• Develop practical approaches for teaching and promoting Social Explorer, using clear workflows and examples to translate complex data into actionable insights for students, entrepreneurs, and community economic development partners.

Presenters: Jeff Hahn, Director of Academic Sales & Support for Social Explorer and Devon Waugh, Instruction Librarian for NC LIVE

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Hosted by NC LIVE