While there are many companies that offer demographic and other statistical information designed to make your marketing more effective (e.g., BizMiner, DemoReports.com, Buy Demographics, Nielsen/Claritas, DemographicsNow and a host of others), there are several great sources that will cost you nothing. A few examples include:

• SBDCNet National Information Clearinghouse—As the name implies, this site is a clearinghouse of demographic information, with links to a range of federal government and other databases. It features access to AmericanFactfinder, the Census Bureau’s website for disseminating Census data; American Demographics market research articles, including snippets of information for free and full articles for a nominal fee; state and county demographics; databases broken down by subject; and much more.
• Entrepreneur—If you’re putting together a basic report and need a quick demographic note, Entrepreneur offers this roundup of quick facts. It covers everything from the number of adults who have started a business to how many Americans currently read blogs and more.
• BizStats—More about financials than demographics, BizStats is a free online source for small business statistics. BizStats collects, analyzes, edits and adds value to public data and delivers it in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand format. The site selects and analyzes raw data to develop value-added calculations and useful statistics, and publish the results in a unique, easily accessible format for business owners, valuation professionals, accountants and consultants.
• U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics—The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the federal government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. It offers research and statistics covering a wide range of topics, including inflation and consumer spending; workforce demographics; productivity; and related information.