Free Market Research for Alberta Small Businesses
Understand your customers, explore your competition, and uncover opportunities for your business with free market research support from Business Link Alberta.
Whether you’re starting a business or looking to grow, our team can help you find the data you need to make informed decisions.
Make informed decisions
Whether you’re testing a new business idea, exploring a new market, or planning your next stage of growth, market research can help you understand your customers, identify opportunities, and move forward with confidence.
Understand your customers
Learn about your target audience and potential demand.
Explore the competition
Identify competitors and opportunities to stand out.
Spot
industry trends
your industry.
Evaluate new opportunities
and markets.
What can we research for you?
Industry research
Explore industry trends, market size, forecasts, and emerging opportunities.
Customer demographics
Learn about population characteristics, income, and consumer behaviour.
Competitor research
Identify competitors and better understand your competitive landscape.
Location insights
Explore local geographic markets, demographics, and business locations.
Financial benchmarks
Access industry financial ratios, operating costs, and performance benchmarks.
Consumer spending
Discover spending patterns, purchasing trends, and market demand.
Getting started is easy
1. Book a free meeting
Talk with a Business Strategist about your business and research needs.
2. Get connected
Your Business Strategist can refer you to our market research team.
3. Put your research to work
Use the information you receive to make informed business decisions.
“The Peerpreneur Sessions allowed me to network with fellow entrepreneurs, which provided fresh perspectives and practical solutions to my business challenges. ” – Ritesh Andley, Pupslurp
Frequently Asked Questions
Primary market research involves collecting information directly from potential customers through surveys, interviews, or focus groups. Secondary market research uses existing information from sources such as government reports, industry publications, and specialized databases.
Business Link Alberta provides free secondary market research to help you better understand your market.
A strong business plan typically includes research on your industry, target customers, and competitors. This can include industry trends, customer demographics, market demand, and information about competing businesses.
The research you need will depend on your business idea and goals.
Absolutely! Using both can give you a more complete picture of your market. Secondary research helps you understand existing trends and data, while primary research lets you hear directly from potential customers.
Together, they can help you test assumptions and make more informed business decisions.
Industry benchmarks, consumer spending data, and market trends can help you make more informed assumptions about potential sales, costs, and demand.
Market research won’t predict your financial results, but it can provide useful information to support your business planning.
That’s okay! Start by booking a free meeting with a Business Strategist. They’ll help you discuss your business goals, identify what information could be useful, and determine whether a referral to our market research team is the right next step.
You can use market research to better understand your customers, assess competitors, choose a business location, develop your marketing strategy, or identify opportunities for growth.
The goal is to turn useful information into more confident business decisions.
Industry and Economy Information
- Alberta Regional Dashboard & Site Selector
- Canada Key Small Business Statistics
- Financial Performance Data
- Government of Alberta Economic Trends
- Invest Alberta
- Statistics Canada
Directories and Business Information
- Alberta Chambers of Commerce
- Canadian Trade Index
- Indigenous Business Directory
- Kompass
- Statistics Canada Business Register
- Thomas
- Yellow Pages
Consumer and Household Information
- Alberta Population Statistics
- Alberta Regional Dashboard
- Environics Analytics PRIZM
- Statistics Canada Census
- Statistics Canada Consumer Spending Information
International Trade Information
- Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
- Export Development Canada
- Google Market Finder
- Government of Alberta Export Tool
- Government of Alberta Market Profiles
- Trade Data Online
Business Link Information
Need more data specific to your industry or location? Business Link can provide secondary data related to:
- Consumer demographic information such as population, age and sex, income, education and occupation, ethnicity, and more
- Household spending on consumer goods and services
- Business lists (competitors, suppliers, etc.) including data such as business type,
location, revenue, number of employees, and industry - Industry news and trends
- Industry average financial ratios
- Importing and exporting data
Book a free meeting for further assistance with your secondary market research