This document discusses how GIS (geographic information systems) can be used as a business development tool. It explains that GIS is more than just maps - it is a powerful analytical tool that can answer questions and help with decision-making by allowing users to query and analyze data based on location. The document provides examples of simple and more complex types of analysis that GIS allows, such as determining optimal locations for new stores or sites based on factors like customer locations, property costs, and demographics. It also explains that GIS can integrate both public and private data, perform multi-criteria analysis, and select results. The overall message is that GIS has great potential to help businesses with siting, marketing, and other

1. WHO TELLS ME WHERE TO GO?
GIS AS A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
TOOL
K-Y Su, NowAmFound GeoGraphics
GateKeypers
Bothell
01 June 2013

2. What is GIS?
GIS is just maps, right?
 GIS’s real strength is as an analytical tool that
answers questions and helps make decisions
 GIS is a full-capability database, that does anything
a database can do and more, especially querying
and drilling down in data, but it (1) can query by
location as well as by numbers, and (2) shows the
results as a map rather than a table of data
 Geographic (or Geospatial) Information Systems
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3. Several areas GIS contributes:
Any business question that involves
“where?” or “what’s there?”
 Business Intelligence
 Constituency
 Siting
 Territories
 Tracking Assets/Staff/Customers/Prospects
 Assessing zoning, available real estate
 Matching members to lawmakers
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4. Could I benefit from GIS?
 Deliver?
 Provide service on-site?
 Rent out assets?
 Have a niche product/service?
 Lot of competition?
 Choosing a new site/territory?
 (more)
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Do you…
Then yes!

5. Simple GIS Analyses
 Where are my customers?
 Where are my prospect list?
 Where is the competition?
 What are the demographics in a given
area?
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6. Less-Simple GIS Analyses
 How many of my customers are in 5-acre
residential zoning vs 8-per-acre zoning?
Within x miles of high-scoring schools?
 A store in the next county is for sale – who
lives out there and what are they like? What
do they want that I can provide? Are they
different than my current customers?
 Where should I put my next store, and what
delivery radius should I provide, based on
property costs, competition, customer
location, zoning restrictions, local taxes,
distance to suppliers, utility costs, visibility to
walk-in traffic, etc?
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7. What data can I map?
 Mostly publicly-available geographic data
 Your data or someone else’s: Any
spreadsheet/database data that is linked
to a geographic unit (zip code, address,
county) can be mapped
 Even back-of-napkin data that has a rough
geographic aspect (kids in this hood are
big on this band), can be mapped
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8. Scenario: Site a Latino Dance Hall
 Near Hispanic Population Centers
 At least 6000 sq ft
 Neighborhood business zoning
 Near Overall Population Growth
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9. Too Much Info?
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10. Filter It Down To Best/Most
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11. Then Add More Data
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12. Overlays
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13. Filtering
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14. Let the Computer Think For You
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15. Selecting Under Multiple Criteria
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16. Results For Export
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17. Thank you!
 Questions?
 Would this help your business, church or
other ministry?
 Can you think of ways to use this to benefit
your community?
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K-Y Su
206-719-8709
NowAmFoundGeo@live.com