MapBusinessOnline Blog

A Word About MapBusinessOnline Demographic Data & the Decennial 2020 Census

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

Any MapBusinessOnline subscription, Standard or Pro, provides access to USA Census demographic data, including population, household, income, and other demographic categories. Our business mapping software offers a comprehensive demographic data library that is very helpful for market analysis or other business applications such as:

Market Expansion – Searching for new market areas based on existing sales success.
Balancing workloads for commissions, compensation, and referrals for franchise, sales, and service territories.
Political Analysis and congressional district mapping.
Government Planning and critical resource allocation.
Financial Analysis, real estate, and insurance mapping.

The Decennial Count

Between Decennial year counts – decennial means counted every decade – MapBusinessOnline publishes updates once a year sourced from the American Community Survey (ACS.) The ACS is a Census Bureau operation. While the Decennial Census focuses on releasing actual count results based on their Constitutional requirements, the ACS performs targeted surveys of populations and areas that are then used to massage demographic estimates in the interim years between Decennial counts. Learn more here.

It is not unusual for a MapBusinessOnline client to inquire about oddball demographic shifts in numeric totals by category over a year or two. It is important to remember that the US Census Bureau is the expert in demographic data counts and updates. We can’t explain why population swings occur yearly and from area to area. The Census employs an army of intelligent people to massage those numbers and publish accurate estimates.

USA Population Map By County.

Population Estimate

The key word here is ‘Estimate.’ Any Census Bureau-published data counts are estimates. There is no such thing as ‘dead-on balls accurate’ in Census data. We must leave the accuracy assessments to those who are paid to worry about those things at the US Census Bureau.

An example of the difficulty in developing accurate Census data is the State of Florida for the 2020 Decennial count. Since 2019 the World has been turned upside down, in so many ways, by the COVID19 Pandemic. It should come as no surprise that the Pandemic impacted population totals.

Florida’s governor and the state congress took more or less right-leaning political positions on face-mask requirements, school closings, and vaccinations. This isn’t the writer’s opinion or judgment. The state passed laws to keep institutions open, for good or bad. This was national news. Consequently, people in other states, frustrated by local Pandemic related rules, chose to move to Florida. Population totals tallied for the 2020 Decennial Census showed extremely high increases for Florida. Shifts like this are sometimes difficult to swallow.

Changes such as Florida’s recent population increase occur in less obvious ways all around the nation. The average citizen using MapBusinessOnline cannot be expected to justify all of these demographic shifts. We must rely on the published data and believe in the Census experts.

Florida population shift noted in the state label.

Geographic Apples

When evaluating Census Demographic category totals per area, the investigator must make sure they compare apples to apples. Take geographic and demographic variables into careful consideration:

Are the data sources being compared identical? Are you sure?
Are the areas in question identical? Double check.
Are you aware that county boundaries, ZIP code boundaries, and state boundaries do not always line up?
Are the source ZIP codes used ZIP 5 Codes or Census ZCTA codes? They are not the same.

A client once objected to the number of College Graduates with an Advanced Degree published for the area around Seattle, Washington. It did look extraordinary until we started considering the number of hi-tech companies in the area – Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Starbucks, and, of course, Geocaching HQ! It was no wonder the population with advanced degrees outnumbered college graduates.

“I’m Late; I’m late…”

The Census Bureau has delayed the complete release of all categories of demographic data significantly and may not finish until early 2024. The Pandemic also made it impossible for the Census Bureau to complete the Decennial Count promptly. Learn more.

This means the demographic data you currently access in MapBusinessOnline is not yet derived from the Decennial Census. MapBusinessOnline Demographic Data Sources are presently presented in MapBusinessOnline as noted below:

MapBusinessOnline Description Source

Population (2021) Third-party demographic estimates.

Population (2020) ACS demographic data update.

Population (2019) ACS demographic data update.

[………………………………………………………………………………]

Population (2010) Decennial Census.

Under each year’s listings are the various categories of demographic data available in the MapBusinessOnline library. It is an extensive list.

We look forward to updating our Census demographic library based on the decennial 2020 results when our sources are done processing the data. Look for the Decennial Census data in early 2024. In the meantime, if you run across downloadable demographic data with location components such as ZIP codes, you can upload the data into MapBusinessOnline and color-code and label your maps.

_______________________________________________

Discover why over 25,000 business users log into www.MapBusinessOnline.com for their business mapping software and advanced sales territory mapping solution. The best replacement for Microsoft MapPoint is the most affordable.

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

After installing the Map App, the MapBusinessOnline launch button will be in the Windows Start Menu or Mac Application folder. Find the MapBusinessOnline folder in the Start Menu scrollbar. Click the folder’s dropdown arrow and choose the MapBusinessOnline option.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, Franchise Mapping, How to instruction, Sales and marketing | Tagged 2020 decennial census, Business mapping software, demographic mapping, market analysis, online mapping software, radius maps, ZIP code mapping | Leave a comment

MapBusinessOnline – Cloud-based Business Mapping Software for Businesspeople

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

The MapBusinessOnline suite provides cloud-based business mapping solutions for general businesspeople with easy-to-use map visualization tools, hierarchical sales territory mapping, and location-based market analysis.

This business mapping software builds upon thirty-plus years of mapping software experience here in the USA. We cater to a wide range of industries and business users. Still, we are focused on bringing the power of geographic technology advancements in mapping to people like you who have no more training than the ability to use an Excel spreadsheet.

Drive Time-based Territories in MapBusinessOnline.

Geographic Information System software (GIS) is incredibly powerful and beneficial. But for most business users, it’s cost prohibitive and complicated. Business mapping software’s technical applications are generally straightforward and nowhere near as complex or expensive as GIS software.

MapBusinessOnline provides help documentation, a business blog, and an online Chat to assist with any mapping process or question. Our Maine, USA-based technical support is standing by during East Coast business hours to answer questions and provide map advice via email, chat, or phone.

Customer feedback is reviewed by all levels of the organization to ensure all processes work as designed and to gather suggestions for improvements and new features. Got ideas? Let us know.

MapBusinessOnline offers two products – MapBusinessOnline Standard and MapBusinessOnline Pro. Pro includes all the features of Standard while also offering advanced capabilities derived from driving time and distance queries. Start with Standard and move on to Pro if you require it and at your convenience. All upgrade fees are prorated to preserve and protect the customer’s investment. Learn more.

MapBusinessOnline Standard – The Perfect Business Mapping Tool for the Beginner through Territory Mappers.

Learn to generate business map visualizations with imported data layers, ZIP codes color-coded by demographics, and develop informative map lends and titles.
Create optimized sales and service routes with up to 150 stops per route, complete with turn-by-turn directions, distance, and time estimates.
Access a comprehensive USA Census Bureau demographic data library for map creation or data export.
Search for, download, map, and export Business Listings with firmographic data.
Conduct area-based market analysis for retail, service, or medical markets. Find your best market demographic profile by ZIP code and replicate it in new areas.
Import or build from scratch ZIP code, county, or city-limit territory maps for sales, franchise, or service businesses. Conduct historical sales or demographic analysis.
Color-code imported data location symbols or City, County, and ZIP code map layers.
Apply a variety of spatial searches to investigate data patterns: radius, polygon, driving time, and distance searches.
Import up to 50,000 location records per map, up to 50 territories per map.
Share view-only maps with constituents at low-cost or set up collaborative map editing with other MapBusinessOnline subscribers.

MapBusinessOnline Standard provides all the business mapping functionality the average user will need. But if you require driving times and distance estimates, or specific demographic layers are a set of locations, consider Pro.

NYC Franchise Map Development Targeting 800,00 to 1 million Population Segments.

MapBusinessOnline Pro – Advanced Location-based Analysis with Driving Time and Distance Queries for Mapping Professionals. Pro includes all the features of MapBusinessOnline Standard.

Search for data by multiple areas and segment data results for export by ZIP code or driving time. Learn more.
Generate multiple radius or drive-time territories in one pass.
Import your location-based business data and append demographic and geographic data.
Conduct origin-destination transportation analysis across one or two large datasets – up to 1 million records.
Setup proximity analysis for multiple radii or driving time and distance studies.
Create calculated data columns that combine various demographic layers with import data columns for analysis.
Import up to 250,000 location points per map, and create up to 1,000 territories per map.

Business mapping software accesses many advanced GIS capabilities without the complexity or the advanced degree requirements. Contact a GIS consultant if your business analysis requires multiple tiers of complex analysis. They’ll wow you with their Map-attitude & GIS size consulting fee. But if you simply need a territory map to support your work and get it up and running fast, MapBusinessOnline is the most affordable solution.

Naturalists, medical researchers, and statisticians will probably want to apply www.Esri.com GIS tools to their data-intensive mapping projects. MapBusinessOnline users tend to be less sophisticated and require more basic mapping solutions. MapBusinessOnline users fall into these general categories of everyday working people in these industries and more:

Construction
Finance
Franchising
Insurance
Government
Manufacturing
Marketing
Medical & Dental businesses
Retail
Sales
Service businesses
Tech industries

Almost any industry will encounter a problem that can benefit from a basic business map. So don’t spend another day avoiding mapping, getting overwhelmed by GIS, or simply living without the power of location at your disposal.

Put your business on the map – the business map.

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, Franchise Mapping, Sales and marketing | Tagged Business mapping software, franchise mapping, Franchise Territories, radius maps, sales territory mapping | Leave a comment

Repurposing an Existing Saved Map Using MapBusinessOnline.com

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

I like the map I created last week for a business mapping blog on franchise mapping. I like the map for a bunch of reasons, including:

The map is easy on the eyes because it is colorful but not overwhelming.
The map has a lot going on, but it isn’t overly cluttered, and the various aspects are described in the map legend.
I think the blue ocean space relieves viewing stress.
It is an informative sales territory map with multiple relevant data layers.

Repurposing a Saved Map

This map was created from a previously saved map. I build and save many maps and templates in my work. I regularly repurpose maps, and so can you. If I require a map to make a point, I first think about all the maps I’ve created that might help me complete my new map requirement faster. Learn more about saving maps.

As you become more experienced at map creation, your mapwork will become more informative for your audience of map viewers. Those viewers could be peers, executive team members, or customers. You will naturally develop a map style that optimizes your map viewers’ experience. This is why repurposing maps should be both a time saver and a way to fine-tune your map presentation skills.

The Save Map Dialogue with map description section.

You can Open the saved map library by clicking the Open a Map button on the toolbar. Here you will find several ways to review saved maps. There’s a master list of all maps in alphabetical or time-saved order. There’s also a most Recent maps list. You can also drop down to the My Templates option to save significant work you want to be protected from overwriting.

I use the Recent Maps folder a lot. In all the MapBusinessOnline library archives, you can scroll through the saved maps and click once on a map file to review the title, description, and a small image of the map.

Once I find the saved My Map or My Template I’m interested in, I open it. I immediately save the map with a new name if it suits my current purpose. This protects the original map from overwriting – you never know when an associate, client, or soulmate might ask you for ‘that map you made,’ low those many years from now. Anyway, it happens.

Always avoid map clutter. Opening my saved Breweries parent map and saving it as a (2), I turned the Street layer off. This map has so much happening with overlaid imported data, business listings, and demographic color-shading; leaving the Street layer on would create clutter.

I did make a few changes to my saved territory map:

Labeling – I changed and simplified the names. I tried to keep the text short and consistent from label to label. I also tested the Large Label setting by editing the Territory layer in Map and Data. The Medium size label option worked best – it was readable and took up less space. You’ll notice I added a few relevant data points to the Territory label, which are relevant to the map’s purpose. I selected and moved all territory labels with my mouse cursor so they displayed well and minimized any overlap with imported data layers. I moved the labels to open spaces.
Territory Color – I darkened the three territory boundaries and changed each territory’s fill color to be further differentiated from each other and from the background ZIP code layer. I adjusted the territory fill transparency from 60% to 30%, making the territories more opaque while allowing some of the ZIP code demography to come through.
Demographic Theme – The ZIP code layer is color-coded to show population levels as a heat map. It wasn’t critical to this map, but I loved how it looked. I could have turned on the layer in the map legend to explain it to the map viewer. But the minimize clutter rule forbade me from adding more info.

Developing Franchise Territories Using MapBusinessOnline

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

Business mapping software combines the power of data analysis with informative map visualizations in a way that helps the franchisor define available-for-sale territories and assign market potential. That same software can make it easy for an investing franchisee to understand the potential and possible risks associated with their next business venture.

A business franchisor is charged with convincing potential franchisees interested in investing in a franchise that an available territory is worth the investment. Franchise territories usually include a geographic territory visualization with an associated sales potential datasheet view covering a specific market.

A franchisee in the market for a new business is tasked with selecting a business closest to meeting its goals and objectives. The franchisee’s task is to secure a franchise territory that offers a viable business with a ready market filled with customers or clients who are likely to purchase their product or service.

A franchisor is focused on defining a business area or territory and establishing its sales potential. The franchisee must conduct due diligence to assess the business viability, confirm the proposed market potential, and negotiate and amend any contractual agreement to their benefit.

Franchising businesses benefit from well-crafted and informative territory maps that combine robust map visualizations with accurate business data that define the franchisee opportunity and ensure sales growth for the franchisee investor.

Consumer-Focused Franchise Markets

MapBusinessOnline offers an easy-to-use franchise territory creation tool for the franchisor. We’ve talked to many businesses about the process for selling franchisees on territory viability. In general, the process for establishing a viable franchise territory map works like this:

Consider the Business – A franchisor must understand and report on what factors will drive sales in the sold territories. Those factors need to be considered when generating territories. First of all, the franchisor, having decided to establish the franchise business, must be able to describe its product and services and show evidence of past sales growth.

This is kind of a no-brainer. Come to the sales process with a story describing interest in the product or service and a sales collateral page pointing to potential revenue growth over time. Then show your prospective franchisee a territory map with one or more franchise territories available for sale.

Provide Evidence for Viability – The potential franchisee territory must describe the demographic or business reasons customers will purchase the products or services offered.

Are the products or services offered impacted by consumer demographics, such as population, income levels, ethnicities, or other demographic characteristics? Describe your market sweet spot(s).
Are there saturation limits in the marketplace? How many competing businesses exist in the market? Use maps to show competitor locations. Learn more.
Are there impacting location-based customer tolerances like driving times or distances? Know and describe how far most customers will drive to buy your product.

Franchise territory development using MapBusinessOnline ZIP codes & demographic categories relevant to the services offered. Note the single franchise datasheet view totaled by households.

Because the potential sales volume of a territory is the driving metric for franchisee decision-making, correlating sales potential to territory size is a critical calculation for creating the first few franchise territories. The remainder will follow a similar pattern once the first two or three territories are drafted.

Adjustments to territories can be made as necessary. Territories tend to widen geographically as the target areas move from the inner city to more rural areas. Territories often are based on ZIP codes. To achieve appropriate population levels in support of franchise sales, territories will likely include more ZIP codes as populations decrease. Learn more.

Examples of potential market justification for a franchisor territory structure might look like one of these scenarios:

Sales could be dependent upon the number of children per household. The more children per area, the more inquiries are received, and more contracts are signed.
Product sales increase for neighborhoods with greater amounts of two working spouses. Two tired people arriving home for the evening are likelier to order pizza from a restaurant franchise.
More sales occur in areas with at least 10,000 people per ZIP code.

These general demographic considerations regarding franchise success are the starting points for developing franchise territories. A typical USA urban area can support up to ten franchise territory areas, based on population. Product and service offerings will vary in sales volume depending on the offering and the market target. Franchises dedicated to more niche products will cover more area and driving distance while tolerating fewer competitors.

Tutoring service franchises target families with children.
Dog kennel franchises target pet owners.
Tax preparation services require income earners.

The ZIP Code Alignment Layer

For most franchises, ZIP codes work well as a territory alignment layer. Depending on the business and the area in play, one to three ZIP codes compiled into a territory area are often a good start for territory development. Learn More.

Once you’ve created three to six territories, you can assess the situation, looking for reasonably similar territories to offer potential franchisees. MapBusinessOnline franchise territory maps make it easy to confirm that:

Demographic totals between territories are within 5% of each other – relatively equal.
Overall area driving distances should also be pretty similar. Look for geographic obstacles like highways, rivers, or mountains that might warrant adjustments for fairness.
Identify competing businesses and develop logic justifying their presence. Review existing franchise businesses in the market and determine where too many competitors spoil the marketplace.

Franchisees will be sensitive to red flags in their due diligence. Do not avoid difficult questions. Be proactive and prepared. Do some research that helps to justify your selling position.

MapBusinessOnline franchise territory maps are easy to adjust for demographic leveling; get familiar with the tool so you can tweak the territory components with the client on the spot. This approach will engender trust in your selling process.

B2B Franchise Territory Analysis

For B2B franchise market assessments, look for industry location data. Non-consumer products and service franchises can’t rely on demographic data for territory development. These B2B franchises must look for industry data to justify their investment and maximize opportunities.

For instance, an automobile tire retailer or automotive parts store can look to the automotive industry and the Registry of Motor Vehicles office for business ownership and sales data related to tires and cars. You would be amazed at how detailed, accurate, and predictive automotive data can be. Cars are tracked from the model year of sale for all components.

MapBusinessOnline offers access to business listings that enable searches by area, industry, and business name. The tool uses Census NAICS and SIC industry code lookups. The business listing search results can be used on the map or exported for a small fee. Learn More.

Using business listings, a Franchisor can identify the following:

Number of total relevant businesses per area.
Number of specific industry business listings per area
Specific industry location data, including critical resources.

B2B franchise territory mapping with Business Listings counts.

B2B franchises might cover tax preparation services, general business consulting, real estate investment, or medical billing services. Some general demographic categories available in MapBusinessOnline may be helpful, but B2B market analysis will require a more nuanced approach for the franchisor territory creator.

In addition to business listings, contacting an industry advocate firm may provide market information to help define territory potential. Look for data that has location components like ZIP code, county, city, and state relevance.

Franchisors catering to the burgeoning beer brewery industry will find some data available online and probably more information through industry organizations and consultants. Gather relevant data and include it with the franchising opportunity maps to entice and inform your audience of potential franchisee investors.

Flesh out the franchise opportunity to the best of your ability based on your experience and the industry in general. Generate a set of viable franchise territories with actual boundaries rooted in accurate business data. Use your optimized and informative franchise territory maps to help sell franchises.

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, Franchise Mapping, How to instruction, Sales and marketing | Tagged Business listings, Business mapping software, demographic mapping, franchise mapping, Franchise Territories, Franchising, market analysis, online mapping software | Leave a comment

Service Territory Mapping Using MapBusinessOnline

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

MapBusinessOnline Service Territory Mapping provides all the tools necessary to design and maintain territories supporting businesses that provide services to their customer base instead of products. Service territories can be generated by ZIP code, county, state, or city limit. Territories can be created incrementally, one ZIP code at a time, using your mouse cursor or imported from thoughtfully designed territory spreadsheets.

Business mapping software generally includes territory mapping for sales organizations, franchise businesses, and service organizations. MapBusinessOnline Service Territory mapping tools organize and optimize travel activity for traveling technicians in service businesses. Service businesses turn to service territory mapping to:

Reduce travel expenses.
Balance workloads across the field tech team.
Minimize inefficient crisscrossing travel routes.
Improve service delivery on timeliness.
Monitor travel and expense records.

Small and large service organizations use MapBusinessOnline territory tools to:

Define and share service coverage areas by county, city limit, or ZIP code.
Monitor field technician territories to keep workloads balanced and to maintain customer satisfaction.
Develop drive-time-based territories with delivery zones for timely arrivals and competitive pricing.
Support field staff with optimized routing, informative map visualizations, and shared service territory maps.
Control overlapping territories as required by the specific business realities.
Coordinate service location-based analysis with scheduling and accounting software.

Supports Various Service-Related Industries

Not all service industries are made the same. MapBusinessOnline service territory management tools support organizations across a variety of industries, including:

Rental agencies – Rental agencies require territory management software to help monitor national assets.
Home healthcare businesses – Territory services maps help this unique and growing industry of dedicated professionals serving aging Americans, disabled citizens, and other home-based people with limited abilities with efficient vehicle routing, minimizing travel expenses and improving efficiencies.
Insurance companies – Field technicians, inspectors, and claims adjusters investigating routine and disaster-related insurance issues.
Tech Organizations – Field repair technicians provide services to devise customers across the United States and Canada.
Local service providers – You name it – lawn and garden, swimming pool upkeep, floor coverings, roofers, carpenters, and a host of other businesses providing in-home services.
Large Retailers – Large retailers and retail chains use territory management tools to monitor and optimize store inventories, sales campaigns, and other business processes associated with significant investments in inventory.
Small niche businesses – New businesses offering tutoring, dog walking, nanny services, and delivery services are popping up.

A service territory map created using MapBusinessOnline.

The Driving Time Difference

Time is a factor that differentiates service territory management from traditional MapBusinessOnline sales territory management. The service industry must deliver its offerings quickly and on time.

The concept of ‘Service’ implies a timely arrival of a repairperson or technical service rep to implement a fix for a broken or faulty device, software, or system upgrade. Service businesses use business mapping software to create and analyze service areas. Service territories are monitored over time to monitor on-time statistics.

MapBusinessOnline coverage area maps can describe driving time and distance areas around a central starting point. Service organizations often use these driving time or distance outreach/delivery zones to establish pricing for service calls and delivery fees. Concentric circle maps are often applied to this delivery scheme by area or zone. Learn more.

Major tech companies that offer repair services often establish multiple zones for repair coverage. Zones are generally centered around large population pools and segmented into ½ day, one-day, and two-day travel times. Service territory maps offer rapid response times to high-population areas while offering some rural coverage to those less than a day’s drive away. Outside of those ranges may require customer delivery to a repair center for rework.

Concentric Circle maps are often used to generate delivery zones and fee structures.

Service territories can be created based on a multiple-center point query at specified driving times or distances. For example, a rental agency with 150 outlets could derive 150 territories based on a 30-minute drive time polygon around each outlet. This is a highly convenient way to create Zip code-based territories that reflect a known customer-tolerated driving time or distance period.

In addition to driving time analysis, MapBusinessOnline provides time arrival and stop duration support in the optimized routing tools. The vehicle routing software estimates times and distances for every generated route and segment.

Service Territory Analysis

MapBusinessOnline service territory maps provide analysis views to help measure progress toward company goals. The Data Window provides tabular data views of imported data layers. Industry location data can be easily imported into any business map and compared to organizational data.

Import the industry data into MapBusinessOnline and add the relevant columns of the data to the territory analysis using the Choose Column button in the lower right of the Territory analysis view. For example, industry statistics on specific medical incidents can be compared to organizational responses to determine market share. Learn more.

In this way, a business can compare industry location data to organizational data and derive market share, measuring progress against the competition.

Analysis views in service territory mapping can easily access and analyze Census demographic data categories. MapBusinessOnline includes a comprehensive library of demographic data for use in strategic and expansion planning. Learn more.

Create percentage calculations comparing demographic data to collected business statistics. MapBusinessOnline includes a calculated data columns function for summing and comparing like datasets. The Data Window also consists of a summation box at the bottom of the tabular view for quick sums of any column. Click the header of any data column to cycle through descending or ascending views.

Enhance your service delivery organization through service territory management. An efficient traveling field force is an asset to any service business. Make service territories part of your business success story.

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, How to instruction | Tagged Business mapping software, optimized routing, radius search, Serive territory analysis, Service territory maps, zip code maps | Leave a comment

Determining an Area’s Population Percentages by Ethnicity Using MapBusinessOnline

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

MapBusinessOnline business mapping software includes access to an entire library of Census demographic data. This data can be used to develop thematic maps based on demographic topics, summations, and calculations using multiple categories – including ethnicities.

In this example, MapBusinessOnline answers, ‘In a defined area, what are the Black and Hispanic portions, as a percentage, of the total population?’

Political analysis of populations is used to enhance polling indications, voter canvassing planning, and perhaps just political planning in general. Understanding the details behind an area’s total population can benefit various analyses. I imagine a political newbie considering a run for a Senate or Representative seat might want a handle on what ethnicities make up the electorate they are messaging.

Sales and Marketing professionals also seek to understand population breakdowns as they consider launching campaigns supporting large retailers or political action groups. All those issue-based direct mail pieces we throw away at home are not cheap. Great for starting a woodstove fire, though.

City and county planning offices like to monitor population shifts to maintain relative equity across neighborhoods. As rougher neighborhoods become more gentrified or vice versa, city elected officials are responsible for treating citizen homeowners and renters fairly, without creating ‘Red Zones’ or gated communities for the well-to-do.

The professionals mentioned above need an easy and fast way to gather that information. The data should be available for large areas, as extensive as a state, and for small areas, as small as ZIP codes or even Census tracts. Fortunately for you, affordable MapBusinessOnline is here with just the ticket.

A subscription to MapBusinessOnline business mapping software includes access to Census demographic data. The list of categories is comprehensive and consists of the following:

Overall population estimates as well as significant ethnicity breakdowns.
Household and median income levels.
Household totals, as well as head of household estimates.
Age breakdowns by populations.
Income breakdowns by population.
Major consumer expenditures.
Home ownership and rental estimates.
Many more categories, too numerous to list here.

Use Calculated Data Columns to Combine Demographic Categories or Create Simple Formulas.

Determining the Ethnicity Population Breakdown

Step 1 – Choose your area of interest.

We will be using MapBusinessOnline’s territory mapping tool to develop our breakdown. Territory management software is excellent for many applications, including sales territory creation, service territory management, franchise territory management, and, in our case, market and demographic analysis.

Areas of interest can vary widely. In your business, someone will ask for a relevant area – a five-mile radius around a major population center. A customized polygon might be appropriate for more wonky areas with known lopsided population anomalies.

Once an area is targeted, choose your polygon or radius option from the Search Tools on the Master Toolbar, and draw the area.
Use the Search option in the associated popup menu to search for the list of ZIP codes bounded by your map object. (ZIP codes are the most popular alignment layer for demographic analysis.)
Save that result as a Territory with a name that means something relevant to your project.

Note: Any map object on the map can be searched for ZIP codes (or counties, Census tracts), but the resulting ZIP codes won’t match the exact area of a circle or polygon. Considering that Census demographic results are always an estimate, in most cases, the results are good enough. However, the map creator does have the option, in Map and Data – Map Options, to adjust the extent of ZIP code/Area overlap.

Click – Map Options – Edit Search Options. Click the dropdown to explore the intersection options – Intersect – Intersect at least 50% – Fully inside. These adjustments would impact spatial queries with any map layer intersection – ZIP code, State, County, or City Limit.

Create A Calculated Data Column

Back to our story.

With your territory assigned, we must develop a Calculated Data Column with a formula for percentages applicable to the two ethnicities within the total population.

Go to Map and Data. Because we used ZIP codes as our alignment layer, Click into the ZIP code layer. Select Calculated Data Columns – the bottom option.
Click Add Data Column. Name the Column – ‘% Black & Hispanic.’ (Your choice.) For format, in this case, select ‘Percentage.’ Set numbers or decimals as required.
Click Formula Options and Simple Formula.
Next is the Demographic Data selection process.
1. Because it is a % of the total population, move the Total ‘Population (2021)’ to the right as the Denominator.
2. Move the ethnicity populations you’re interested in (Black & Hispanic) to the right as the Numerator. (Isn’t using Denominator and Numerator labels at work fun? 4th Grade math.)
Click ‘Add’ in the lower right. Your formula is now created as a Calculated Data Column and is accessible in the Data Window analysis view.

Return to the Data Window and drop down to your Territory.

In the lower right, click Choose Columns.
On the left side of the two-sided database tool that opens, drop down to the Calculated option for pulling data into the analysis. Find your Calculated Data Column named dataset. Move it to the right side.
If it suits your project, you can drop down to Demographic Data and move various Demographic categories into the analysis. For instance, Pacific Islanders may represent only .5 percentage points of the total population, but listing that population segment may add value to your analysis.
Click Set Data Columns.

Take a look at your territory in the Data Window. You now have ethnicity categories noted by percentage. High-fives all around.

Calculated Data Columns formula for analyzing % of the population.

The Results – Reporting on Your Demographic Analysis

Once your demographic analysis of the ethnicity percentage of the total population is complete, you have several options for reporting:

Use MapBusinessOnline – the software, via a web share meeting or an overhead projector. Once you’re familiar with the tool, you will find using it as a live-sharing tool advantageous.
1. You’ll have more flexibility to turn layers on and off as part of the presentation.
2. To answer questions, you could quickly upload more categories of demographic data live.
3. You’ll become known as the company Map Geek. (This cuts both ways.)
The Data Window tabular view of demographic information, including your formula results, is exportable. Use the right-most button on the Data Window toolbar to export to a CSV file.

I think the above exercise in demographic mapping is an excellent example of how MapBusinessOnline provides advanced analysis capabilities for everyday businesspeople. The tool is both easy-to-use and affordable. And you get to use the terms Denominator and Numerator without having to apply to SpaceX for a trip to Mars.

Captain Numerator and Lieutenant Denominator relax at the Martian landing site – 2036 – while Private Dividend records. (SpaceX Image.)

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, How to instruction, Sales and marketing | Tagged Business mapping software, Location-based demographic analysis, market analysis, online mapping software, radius search, territory mapping software, zip code map | Leave a comment

How to Approach MapBusinessOnline Optimized Routing

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

MapBusinessOnline online mapping software includes an Optimized vehicle routing tool. You can access the tool by clicking the Route button on the far right of the Master Toolbar. You can also click the car icon on any plotted point on the map to start the routing process.

The routing capabilities of the MapBusinessOnline route tool are modest. They are designed for a traveling salesperson or a technician visiting clients. The routes are generally derived from an imported Excel file, or what we call a Marketing List. Any data returned from a search query in MapBusinessOnline is called a Marketing List.

In addition to using MapBusinessOnline for sales planning, companies also use MapBusinessOnline Routing to manage field service staff. The Route tool lets a business map user or manager generate optimized routes for the personnel in the field. The field staff using MapBusinessOnline routes might be clinicians, technicians, or even plumbers. The business map service or sales users can also route for free using the MapBusinessOnline publicly shared maps. Learn more.

MapBusinessOnline clients use the Routing capability for a variety of actual applications, including:

Developing and sharing routing maps with any traveling associate.
Planning site visits in retail, homecare, or construction.
Generating turn-by-turn directions.
Estimating times and distances of a particular travel route for planning or expense purposes.
Creating school bus routing maps with critical drop-off/pick-up locations.

MapBusinessOnline Routing capabilities include:

Generating optimized routes that find the most efficient route across the road network. Stops can be arranged in order of presentation to the Route Window (as presented by a route marketing list of stops or an imported spreadsheet) or optimized for the most efficient vehicle route.
Creating routes with up to 150 stops – The tool allows up to 150 stops per route.
Time and date windows are supported. Learn more.
Route files can be exported for sharing as CSV, GPX, HTML, ITN, or PDF files.
Route stops can be added incrementally or grouped in the Data Window using the Add to Route toolbar.
Creating ‘route avoid’ intersections using the Draw or Search tools to create a polygon. Learn more.

Developing optimized routes in New England using MapBusinessOnline.

The Route tool in MapBusinessOnline does not support these functions:

It does not track vehicles in real-time or support live GPS tracking.
It does not allow for multiple vehicle routing or more than one route per map at a time.
The routing function does not access additional data columns in your imported data for analysis or export.
More than one route at a time. (The routing tool is limited to one route at a time per map.)
It does not provide stop numbering outside of the name field.
MapBusinessOnline does not offer large truck routing.

Manage Your Data Outside of the Route Tool

The real power of using the MapBusinessOnline optimized routing is derived through managing routing stops at the spreadsheet level. Arrange your stops and set up your naming conventions and data fields in Excel. Remember that your routing data is imported into the Data Window and then uploaded to the route Window for Routing purposes only.

MapBusinessOnline Standard is a $500 business mapping software with basic routing capabilities as an add-on. If you require route-related analysis, consider a tool like Route Smart.

MapBusinessOnline Pro includes a set of driving time and distance analysis tools that can provide analysis across multiple datasets. The Batch Calculate option is valuable as an origin-to-destination study for many data points – well beyond the 150 stops allowed by the Route Window. Consider MapBusinessOnline Pro for advanced transportation network analysis. Learn more about Pro.

Route segments can be selected, highlighting them in yellow & presenting relevant turn-by-turn directions.

Some Tips for Routing

Place ID Numbers in the Name Field – Some users like to number their traveling vehicles for internal analysis. MapBusinessOnline Routing has no flexible field to enable numbered labeling and reporting. We suggest placing the stop number in the name field of your spreadsheet. For instance, under Stop Name: put ‘UPS Building – Stop 54.’ Use your imagination.

Saving a Route – MapBusinessOnline only allows one route on the map at a time. This generally means you must delete a route to start a new one. Here are a few options:

Export the route as a route file for future reference. Share as a CSV or GPX file.
Save the map you’re working on as a My Map file. To generate new routes, create a new map and save it with a different name from the original My Map. The map and route are then inextricably linked.

Turn-by-Turn Directions – Every route generated includes a turn-by-turn directions report. This report will provide distances and times between stops and the overall length and estimated time for the entire route. These route reports are PDF files ready for sharing.

What Does Optimize Mean?

Optimized routing means the business mapping application can decide which stop order returns the most efficient route for your vehicle. The application substitutes the optimized route for the original submitted route’s stop order. When the user selects the optimize option, the mapping software considers road speed limits, road classifications, one-way streets and two-way streets, and other road network characteristics in developing the route. Even historical traffic records are considered, which can help taper time estimates during commuting periods.

Routes can be requested as one-way or two-way. Two-way means to there and back again.

MapBusinessOnline routing is convenient for traveling business mapping users. At $500 for MapBusinessOnline Standard, it is a bargain for generating optimized routes, which is why many companies use the tool for route generation. Typical routine software services cost more than $5,000 for similar services, with a few more bells and whistles.

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, How to instruction, Sales and marketing | Leave a comment

How to Identify ZIP Codes without a Territory Assignment

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

MapBusinessOnline provides America’s best sales territory management software. Thousands of business mapping users across North America use MapBusinessOnline territory management to:

Motivate and organize their sales efforts.
Manage field staff providing clients with repair services.
Develop franchise sales territories based on key demographic categories.
Build hierarchical territories supporting regions, divisions, and zones.
Generate map-based market analysis where territories define areas of success and point to new markets.

The software offers informative map visualizations of territories based on a preferred map layer – usually ZIP codes, city limits, counties, and states. The most popular alignment layer for territory construction is the ZIP code layer.

A nationwide territory map created using MapBusinessOnline.

Territories can be created manually by cursor-selecting, polygon-lassoing areas on the map, or filtering for specific ZIP codes. Learn more. The territory map creator can import territory spreadsheets for instantaneous territory creation. Once established, territories can be edited as required:

To correct errors – nobody’s perfect.
To add or delete territory areas.
To make a specific territory larger or smaller.
To switch ZIP codes for whatever reason.
To adjust fill color and border properties.
For label adjustments and data appends.

A few weeks back, a chatting user asked how to identify ZIP codes not assigned to a territory. This is a great question and deserving of more in-depth study.

ZIP Code Territories

Zip code-based territories in MapBusinessOnline follow the identical sequences for creation and editing as county, state, or other map alignment layer territories. So, you can apply what you learn in this article to counties and different territory assignment layers.

Once a territory map is created, a territory layer is presented in the Data Window view. The Territory layer, data dropdown, ZIP codes, and all other map layers are selected from the left side.

The problem of identifying ZIP codes not assigned to a territory can arise under various circumstances, including:

Running a business query – ZIP code searches are conducted to answer a customer question, and a territory name is required. Call center associates often look up ZIP codes.
Generating additional territories – New territories must be created from unassigned ZIP codes.
Sales and business analysis – Sales activity by ZIP code happens and necessitates a ZIP assignment to a territory.

Old School Visual Approaches

What are the options for finding unassigned ZIP codes not associated with a territory? First, there’s the age-old ‘look at the map’ approach. This is strictly a visual process. Zoom to the ZIP code and scan the map view for the associated territory. It’s old school, but it’s also pretty easy if the map is optimized and not too complex.

First, make sure your territory map is optimized for visual inspection. Keep the ZIP code layer turned on in Map and Data. Use Map and Data layer tools to make the ZIP code layer between 50% and 80% transparent. Adjust the ZIP code boundaries to a darker color for better visibility. Do the same optimization to the Territory layer, keeping the color and line thickness slightly different than the ZIP code layer for differentiation. Learn more about map optimization.

Keep other layers like States and Counties turned off or unfilled with color. There’s no need for additional distractions.

In the Search Map box in the upper left-hand corner of the application – above the Master Toolbar, enter the ZIP code number and click the Binocular icon to the right of the search box. The map view will zoom to the center of the ZIP code in question. Pan back using your Navigation Scroll Bar in the upper right corner of the map, and you’ll eventually see the territory color bounds.

You won’t see any territory-related color except ZIP codes if the Territory is unassigned. Generally, a territory will show a territory color (referenced in the Map Legend) and a territory label. TIP – You can hold down the Control Key and click on the territory to retrieve a missing label. Sometimes labels get turned off.

Another visual approach is simply viewing an area and selecting a ZIP code on the map with your cursor. If the ZIP code is not assigned to a territory, it will show as selected, highlighted in Yellow. (You can configure the selection highlight color in Map and Data options.)

If the ZIP code is assigned to a territory, MapBusinessOnline will present the Select Geography option dialogue box that lets you choose between the ZIP code and the Territory. Bingo! Right there, you know it is assigned to a territory.

Use the Data Window

The Data Window presents a tabular view of all data within any MapBusinessOnline map. Click the Data Window button on the right side of the Master Toolbar to open the tabular view.

Select the Data Window Territory Layer on the left dropdown for territories based on a ZIP code map alignment layer. Click the mini-Data Window icon to open a specific territory and see all the assigned ZIP codes for that territory. You can use the Filter By Code search bar to look for a particular ZIP code.

The Data Window with the Filter by Code Search Bar.

Filter the ZIP Code Layer for Territories

Here’s our preferred search method for ZIP codes left unassigned by territory, using the Filter button.

First, realize you can focus your Filter operation by State. In the Map and Data Box, click the Filter Map option and select the states you prefer to focus on. This will limit the number of ZIP codes presented to just those states of interest.

Select the ZIP code layer in the Data Window view.
In the lower right, click the Choose Columns
On the left side of the data organizer, under
General, find the Territory and Territory Count. Move the Territory and Territory Count options to the right side. This adds columns to the Data Window territory view.
Note: You can now Click the header on either Territory column to arrange the data in descending order. This view can be helpful.

Back in the Data Window, the Filter function is accessed through the Filter and Search section. Click the Filter icon (a funnel.) This opens a dialogue with access to MapBusinessOnline imported, demographic, and geographic data on the left. And with access to modifiers and value inputs on the right.

Click the filter button. Select Territory or Territory Count. Choose the < Less Than modifier and click Filter.

The results will display all ZIP codes without a territory assignment.

If your territory map covers only a few states, you can see why the State filter can help. Without it, you’ll be wading through 47 states of ZIP codes. Use the Data Window toolbar’s Filter by Code box to quickly search for the ZIP code most important to you.

The approaches described above are ways to use a business map to search for any location data. ZIP codes are commonly used, but you might be looking for counties, Census tracts, or some other element in your imported location data. Play with the filter button options to get familiar with the filtering process in MapBusinessOnline. Sooner or later, you’ll be looking for something, and these Filter functions may be your best approach. Learn more.

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, How to instruction, Sales and marketing | Tagged Business mapping program, Business mapping software, map visualization, sales territory mapping | Leave a comment

Increase Business Intelligence through Proximity Analysis – MapBusinessOnline Pro

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

MapBusinessOnline Pro answers proximity questions for businesspeople who manage data – lots of data. Pro is used by transportation companies, banks, large retailers, insurance companies, and healthcare organizations, to name a few industries.

MapBusinessOnline Pro allows map creators to import up to 250,000 location records per map. Location records are generally business addresses but could be latitude and longitude coordinates. Learn more.

Proximity analysis enables an assessment of the location data surrounding a specific point, a set of points, or an area on the Earth. One could also think of proximity analysis as a critical tool for situational awareness. Proximity analysis and spatial searches enhance business intelligence leading to healthier growth, more market share, and a more attractive bottom line.

Best Potential New Market Areas Circled for More Research.

In MapBusinessOnline Standard, proximity analysis gathers all of the records within a specified radius or driving distance/time of a given central point. In MapBusinessOnline Pro, map users can extend proximity analysis by reporting on the distances (straight line or driving distance) from Point A to a set of points B(x)to B(y). The added benefit for MapBusinessOnline Pro users is the software’s ability to calculate driving distances and driving times along a road network. You map creators will look long and hard for a cloud-based mapping software that conducts driving time and distance queries for less than $1000.00. Let me know if you find one.

Radius searches applied to a business map are typically set to a specific radius to capture all of the location data within that radius-defined circle. For example, a business map user could specify a ten-mile radius, drop a central point on the map with their mouse cursor and query the map for data. Examples of queried data vary depending on the industry of the subscriber but could include:

All homes for sale within ten miles.
All medical facilities within ten miles.
All customers within ten miles.
All prospects within ten miles.
All bowling alleys within ten miles.

The possible location targets are endless. Download additional data sets using MapBusinessOnline Business Listings for a small fee.

MapBusinessOnline Pro

Proximity analysis in MapBusinessOnline Pro enables a whole new array of proximity search features. Pro introduces the ability to compare two datasets of points and calculate the distance between all points in both data sets. These calculations generate three levels of proximity:

Straight line distance – as the crow flies from Point A1 to Point B1.
Driving distance – the distance driven across a road network.
Driving times – The time it takes to drive the distance across the road network.

MapBusinessOnline Pro features are located in the Market Analysis button along the master toolbar. Proximity Analysis results vary from function to function.

Driving Time Polygons Created Using MapBusinessOnline Pro.

Search & Segment Data – Create marketing lists by searching all points in a dataset based on a selected radius, reporting the results for each radius in either Straight distance, Driving Distance, or Driving Time. Instead of marketing lists, the map creator could request that territories be created from map layers.

This function is excellent for organizing lists of proximity results arranged by distance or time from each point. A practical example would be delivery planning, where the number of stops in a 10-mile radius could represent a full truckload.

Batch Calculate Distances or Times Between One or Two Datasets – With this proximity query, a map user can analyze all distances between all points – straight, driving, or time – and collect the results for totaling.

Users apply this calculation to transportation systems to assess maximum systems costs or delivery time estimates given a set of addresses. Many users use this tool to conduct ZIP-code to ZIP-code analysis to gauge the efficiency of a transportation network.

Find the Nearest – Another perspective on Proximity analysis is finding the nearest locations from one set of data to another set of locations. At the risk of sounding redundant, we’re looking for the closest twenty locations. In MapBusinessOnline instructions, we tend to use Customers to Store as the classic example. So the result would be a set of up to twenty stores nearest to a dataset of customers.

It could go the other way, too, to find the nearest twenty customers to this set of stores. All results can measure Straight, Driving Distance, or Driving Time. You can set a maximum distance or time as well.

Find the Nearest results will add a column to the relevant datasets in the Data Window. You’ll have the opportunity to add a little bit of defining text for the heading, which will also display Driving Distance or which analysis you chose to apply

Other examples of how this query is used in the field:

Finding the nearest hospitals or emergency centers. Especially interesting in times of high traffic, which can impact the calculation.
Find the nearest ATM – There are many reasons why the nearest cash machine might be essential to a process – some good, some bad.
Find the nearest automobile inspection station – A tribute to Willbur Holmes, VP of Sales at Holmes Distributors in Portland, ME. Wilbur regularly scanned the parking lot with binoculars from his office to determine which employees had expired or were close to expiring registration or inspection stickers. Wilbur would then notify you of your faux pas, avoiding inevitable incarceration for semi-innocent people.

A growing number of businesses are taking seriously the study of location data and proximity analysis. Realize the power that location analysis, driving time and distance calculations, and map visualizations can add to your business intelligence. Join the party. Get the power. Purchase or upgrade to MapBusinessOnline Pro.

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, How to instruction, Sales and marketing | Tagged Business mapping software, map visualizations, online mapping software, Proximity analysis, radius search, sales territory mapping, ZIP code mapping | Leave a comment

How do I Optimize and Generate Map Images Using MapBusinessOnline?

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Geoffrey Ives

A map visualization is a map-based image depicting a business situation. We sometimes refer to business maps as map visualizations. A map visualization is a map-based image showing a business situation. Due to the nature of our work here at MapBusinessOnline, we have much experience creating map visualizations.

These business map visualizations we create are primarily used to generate map images for use on our website or for business presentations.

MapBusinessOnline provides users with several ways to capture a completed map image:

Export Image is a button located on the right side of the Master Toolbar. This image option will create a Jpeg or PNG file type out of the entire map extent image, which then can be saved to your desktop. Jpegs are smaller files. I prefer PNG files in places where file size is not an issue.
The Print button on the Master Toolbar includes options for saving the map view as a large-format PDF file. These files can be enormous in both actual print (up to 5 ft. x 5 ft.) and digital file sizes. PDF files are used to generate paper wall maps. Learn more.

A map user can also apply the Windows Snippet tool to grab images from the business mapping platform. The main advantage of using a Snippet image grab is that it can capture the Data Window and other map function views at the same time. I keep a launch button for the Sippet tool on my Windows 10 taskbar.

An Apple user has a similar image-grabbing tool called Screenshot that can generate images in Jpeg, PNG, and PDF formats.

A retail site selection map using MapBusinessOnline.

Preparing for Business Map Creation

Map creation takes time, especially at first. Business mapping software users should expect to experience a learning curve on the way to achieving mature map-making status. While MapBusinessOnline tools are, in fact, easy-to-use, optimum map visualizations are derived from experience and require thought and patience.

A significant first step is to seek to clearly understand why you are creating a business map. Collect the relevant location data available – ensure that the data you use is pertinent to your map’s mission and that sharing the data is permissible.

Business maps should be kept simple and focused. As a rule, do not try to solve multiple problems with one business map.

The Map and Data Box

The gray Map and Data box hovers over your map. Its main face includes the checkbox for all your map layers and data layers. Explore the Map Options button for controls over Map Title, the Map Legend, and the background color. Drill down into each map layer to explore the map editing tools for the map look and feel available for your map optimization.

Those tools include boundary controls, transparency controls, fill color controls and labeling tools. Learn more.

Keep the below maxims in mind as you create your map images:

Images are cheap – You may think your map is complete, but after generating a final image, look it over to determine if it meets proper mapping standards. Are there distracting map objects (circles, polygons, lines) or extra text on the map? If there are, delete the extra objects and clean up the map.
Map Purpose – Is your business map’s purpose clearly stated? Maps are supposed to be informative, not a game. Don’t make your map audience guess what the map is about. They have better things to do.
Avoid map clutter – Same as above, except ‘map clutter’ deserves its own maxim. Map clutter hides or detracts from your map’s purpose. Map clutter can be map objects that add no value, datasets imported to the map that serves no purpose, or labels on states, counties, or ZIP codes that do not need to be turned on. If you created this map from another business map or map template, be vigilant in removing redundant data.
Boundary Lines – Most maps appear better with solid and dark boundaries. MapBusinessOnline makes it easy to adjust color and thickness on borders. That said, only include layers with boundaries if they add value to the map. States usually add value because they are orientating for the map viewer. Counties, not so much.
Be Miserly with Text– Maps tell a story. Included text should be part of that story. Focus on map communication. Too much text will put map viewers to sleep. In presentations, superfluous text risks distracting questions. As Obi-Wan Kenobi says, “Use the map, Luke.”
Demographic Data Supports Certain Business Analysis – Not all B2B analysis requires demographic data and thematic mapping. Make sure your map benefits from demographic themes before including them. Usually, demographic categories such as population, income, age, and gender can aid map analysis. Make sure your use of demographics is relevant to the map’s purpose.
ZIP code and County labels – Labels in mapping are tricky. Turning on all ZIP code labels at a nationally zoomed USA view is a recipe for map confusion. Business mapping tools are designed to accommodate label challenges. Label controls in MapBusinessOnline can help. Large and tall states like Texas and California can be problematic due to the inherent landscape configuration of the map view. Texas and California are tall and large, making details like county and ZIP code labels challenging to squeeze in. Learn more.

Cluttered or informative? The Map Creator decides.

Double Check Your Work

Working with business maps is exciting. Today’s business mapping applications are cloud-based and made for the mapping novice. Business mapping does not require a GIS degree. Still, don’t get carried away. Keep your map audience in mind as you create your business map. Below is a checklist of double-check items for your map work.

Check your spelling – Map applications don’t have spell checkers. Be careful. A beautiful business map could net you an A+. Misspellings will bring down your grade in the minds of your associates.
Consider a Map Title – MapBusinessOnline provides a map title box in Map and Data under Map Options. Check the box associated with Show Map Title.
Edit the Map Legend – The legend automatically picks up all data and map layers. Edit the presence of each layer – you may not need to display a map layer name in the legend. Consolidate text where possible. All map legend text should add value.
Consider turning off map controls – Shut down Map and Data and the Master Toolbar before you save your final image. Notice the tiny black down arrow just above the Map Layer button on the Master Toolbar. Click that to turn off the toolbar.
Adjust your Zoom settings – Is the map zoomed in far enough or too far? Try different zoom settings to optimize your map view.
Get a second opinion – Have a trusted associate look at your map before you make a final save. A second set of eyes can sometimes stave off disaster.

Creating business maps for your executive team is an exciting way to get noticed in your organization. If you do not get asked to make any more maps after a presentation or strategic meeting, it will be because your map didn’t add value to the discussion.

The tools and tips above will help you create sales territory maps, strategic maps, and franchise maps, that add value to your business discussions. Carefully designed maps are career-enhancing. Hastily generated map images that do not efficiently communicate are career-limiting. Choose wisely, Luke – “The force has a strong influence on the weak-minded.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi.

_______________________________________________

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra or g2crowd.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives at geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson at jhenderson@spatialteq.com.

Posted in Business Mapping Software blog post, How to instruction, Sales and marketing | Tagged Business listings, Business mapping software, map visualization, online mapping software, radius map, sales territory map, sales territory mapping, zip code map | Leave a comment

MapBusinessOnline Blog

A Word About MapBusinessOnline Demographic Data & the Decennial 2020 Census

MapBusinessOnline – Cloud-based Business Mapping Software for Businesspeople

Repurposing an Existing Saved Map Using MapBusinessOnline.com

Developing Franchise Territories Using MapBusinessOnline

Service Territory Mapping Using MapBusinessOnline

Determining an Area’s Population Percentages by Ethnicity Using MapBusinessOnline

How to Approach MapBusinessOnline Optimized Routing

How to Identify ZIP Codes without a Territory Assignment

Increase Business Intelligence through Proximity Analysis – MapBusinessOnline Pro

How do I Optimize and Generate Map Images Using MapBusinessOnline?

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta

RSS