Research Guides: Tourism Management: TMGT business plans

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How to write a business plan

Start and Run a Tour Guiding Business : part-time, full time, at home, or abroad: your step-by-step business plan by Barbara Braidwood; Susan Boyce; Richard Cropp
Call Number: G 154.7 .B72 2000

This in-depth handbook will tell you all there is to know about the tour guiding industry, whether you want to become an independent tour guide, work for an existing company, or set up your own tour business.
The Business Plan : how to win your investors confidence by Sam Vaseghi; Gerald Schwetje
Call Number: HD 30.28 .S38 2007

This book provides the essentials to write a successful business plan. The represented methods and best practices have been approved over many years in practice with many management consulting engagements.
Business plan writing 101 : the essential guide for entrepreneurs by Gerry McRae
Call Number: HD 62.5 .M385 2005

The no-nonsense guide on how to write a business plan that will help you map success for your startup.
Handbook of Marketing Research Methodologies for Hospitality and Tourism by Ronald A. Nykiel
Call Number: TX 911.3 .M3 N93 2007

This comprehensive guide clearly explains analysing markets, utilising qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, applying findings to market, development, and marketing strategies for the hospitality industry.

Library sources for market research

Business Source Complete
Be sure to explore not just articles written about your industry, but limit your search to "SWOT" analyses, Industry profiles, and market research reports
Conference Board of Canada

Research reports and webinars on Economic Trends (Canadian, Provincial, Metropolitan and International); Industry Sector Economics; Consumer and Business Confidence; Travel and Tourism; Organizational Performance and Public Policly. Updated regularly.
PsycINFO
This may be a useful resource to find out about the psychology or motivation for consumers.

You can control how databases and search engines treat your words to get more relevant results using Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT

Finding Statistics

Finding statistics is not easy. There are generally two approaches, which are often used in combination with each other.

Publisher Strategy: identify an organization that would produce and publish such a statistic. Knowledge of government structure, areas of jurisdication and context is key.

Data Strategy: identify a data source from which the statistics were derived.

image credit: Chuck Humphrey, Data Library Coordinator, University of Alberta

Official Statistics: produced by government bodies (such as Statistics Canada) and some international or inter-governmental agencies (such as the U.N.)

Non-Offical Statistics: produced by other bodies, including trade associations, professional organizations, banks, consultants, marketing companies, academic institutions, etc

Types of Statistics

Statistical Types
Surveys	Administrative Records
Census Labour Force Survey General Social Survey National Household Survey Aboriginal Peoples Survey etc....	Vital Statistics Hospital Morbidity Crime Reports Court Reports Income Statistics etc...

Surveys: deliberately requested information.

Administrative Records: statistics generated by doing regular business

Market Research Resources

NAICS - searchable from Statistics Canada
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the North American business economy. Developed jointly by the US Economic Policy Committee, Statistics Canada, and Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia.
EDGAR
EDGAR is a database of disclosure documents that public companies are required to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
SEDAR
Provides access to most public securities documents and information filed by public companies and investment funds with the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) in the SEDAR (System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval) filing system.
Google: Advanced search page
Limit your google search results to a particular website or file type (ie. PDF or PPT)

Statistical Sources for Business Plans

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly called Industry Canada)
Compare your industry as a whole, find stats by industry, create customized trade reports and much more
2011: Census Profile
A great place to get a snapshot for various levels of geography, including provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas, communities, census tracts and health regions. The profile includes characteristics such as population, age, sex, dwellings, families, marital status and language.
Consumer Price Index: BC Statistics
Monthly and historical consumer price indexes for Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver and Victoria. Also includes price trends for categories of commodoties such as food, shelter and clothing
Canada Business Network: Market Research and Statistics
This market research portal provides links to various aspects of information that you'll need to conduct a thorough market analysis for your business case: labour and employment, demographics, international markets, exports/imports, etc...

Trade and Industry associations

These are often great sources for finding administrative stats (see stats definitions to the left). Google your industry or trade and see if there is a related association. Explore their website to find out if they have a "research" section or "publications" section or "statistics" section on their website.

Tourism Indicators: Destination BC
Find monthly BC tourism data including customs entries, provincial and regional room revenue, commercial restaurant receipts, provincial and regional occupancy and average daily room rates, visitor centres, regional airports, ferries, and conference centres.

Citing sources

APA Formatting and Style Guide - OWL from Purdue University