Welcome

Welcome to the newest version of SBDCNET Connections E-newsletter. My name is Guillermo Barreto-Vega, newly appointed Director of the SBDC National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNet). I hold a Master of Arts in Economic Planning and have over 25 years of experience in economic development, strategic planning, and resource development.

SBDCNet will continue to provide the relevant and timely information you are accustomed to and pledge to add value to the information services we currently provide. We have re-launched this newsletter to keep you informed on the activities of SBDCNet and to provide you with resources to make your job easier. You can look forward to an industry snapshot in each issue, as well as tidbits and resources of interest to SBDC Business Advisors. Like previous issues, this newsletter will provide information to help SBDC Business Advisors in their daily activities of assisting small business owners.

As Director of SBDCNet, I welcome the input and advice from the SBDC community. Please do not hesitate in contacting me if you have any questions or recommendations about our services.

Sincerely,
Guillermo Barreto-Vega

sbdcnet@utsa.edu
800.689.1912

Industry Snapshot: Retail Bakery

Unlike other segments of the retail grocery industry that experienced steady loss of market share to competing supermarkets and superstores throughout the 1990s, the retail bakery industry experienced steady growth. Retail sales increased from $6.5 billion in 1995 to $6.9 billion in 1999, according to Ward's Business Directory of Private and Public Companies, 1999. This growth was attributed to new retailing strategies, new products, and consumers' increased demand for bakery goods.

Take a look at our full industry report on retail bakeries (PDF Format). If you are interested in other industry snapshots, visit our SBDC Business Advisors Toolkit.

SBDCNET Comes to You

We would like to visit as many SBDCs as possible during 2004. We can provide outreach and training on basic market research and inform your staff on ways to utilize our services. Please let us know if you would like us to attend your state or regional SBDC staff meetings.

Did You Know?

Search Engines like Google capture less than 25% of the World Wide Web at any given moment. (Source: http://searchenginewatch.com and http://wcp.oclc.org/) Our skilled researchers supplement information from the “open web” with items found in proprietary databases and our print resources to provide recent, relevant and factual market research for SBDC clients.

Are You Paying Attention to
Demographic Trends?

Foreign-born populations are having a tremendous impact on the growth of many communities. In order to compete, businesses must recognize these demographic shifts and adjust to different cultural influences. For interesting reports about the foreign-born population and migration patterns, see the Census (http://www.census.gov/population/www/
cen2000/migration.html). See also our website for information on demographics: http://sbdcnet.org/SBIC/demographics.php

Contact Us

SBDCNET
UTSA Institute for Economic Development
University of Texas at San Antonio
501 W. Durango Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78207
http://sbdcnet.org/
sbdcnet@utsa.edu
800.689.1912