Business.gov.au have published an article providing details on how businesses can benefit from the data collected in the 2016 Census.
The article states that the information collected in the Census can help businesses move towards being successful by understanding people in the area where business owners want to start and/or grow their business. The article also states that the information that will eventually become available can help business owners: make informed and confident decisions, determine whether the population of a certain area is able to support their business, understand the customers in their area and work out if they are a good fit for their target audience and help create the best marketing strategies for their target audience.
The article also states that the information collected from the Census includes but is not limited to: the population of an area, languages spoken, how people travel to work, income levels and how potential customers spend their time. Data from the census will become available from this Thursday onwards.
Business.gov.au’s article can be read in full here.
The 2016 Australian Census is being held tonight and has already causing controversy with the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) decision to go almost completely digital, to place ‘No Religion’ at the top of the options list in the religions question and to retain names and addresses for four years instead of the usual 18 months. There has also been controversy surrounding steep fines for filling in the Census incorrectly and difficulties encountered when trying to contact Census hotlines.
News.com.au have published a five-minute guide to the Census on their website, which includes answers to frequently answered questions such as whether the Census needs to be completed in full tonight, how long it takes to complete, why and when fines are issued, what questions need to be answered and what happens if joke answers are provided, if technical assistance will be available, how long the data is kept for and how the ABS will protect people’s privacy. News.com.au’s guide can be read in full here.
The ABS have stated on their website that the Census will count close to 10 million dwellings and approximately 24 million people, making it the largest number counted to date. The ABS have also estimated that more than 15 million people will complete the 61-question Census online.
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