A. Imports

     Interview dealers in domestic automobiles to see how imports have affected their business over the past year compared with the competition in previous years. Support the interview with data from automobile registrations by manufacturer, making annual comparisons for the last few years.

B. Pulse

     Take the pulse and blood pressure of a variety of local businesses. Make a list of the points of measurement (gross revenues, net revenues, etc.) and use these as the vital signs of health or illness. Ascertain what elements have caused each business to be robust or ailing (location, competition, changes in taste, etc.).

C. Inventory

     Make an inventory of government agencies—city, county, regional and federal—that are concerned with local business activities. Make a thumbnail sketch of the activities and powers of these agencies.

D. Authorities

     Compile a list of the names of sources who can provide background for business news stories. For each authority, give the individual's credentials: position, background, area of competence.

E. Labor

     How strong is organized labor in the community? Would you classify your community as pro-labor or anti-labor? First, devise ways of making this determination. One technique would be to see whether local industries have been organized by the major unions, whether industries have closed or open shops. The comments of labor leaders and local officials would be useful as well.

F. Market

     Interview securities dealers to see how many people in your city invest in the stock market occasionally and how many buy and sell on a frequent basis. Try to interview individuals in each category. Why do they invest in stocks? How well have they done lately? What are some of their successful investments; some losers? If there is a local investment club, do a story on how it has fared.

G. Index

     Three yardsticks of the economy are issued monthly by the government: consumer price index, wholesale price index and the index of leading economic indicators. Go to the reference library to obtain material for a story that traces the fluctuations in these indices over the past year. Do you discern some kind of trend or pattern? Can you link it to any major economic or political events?

H. Nonprofit

     Do a profile of a nonprofit organization in the community. Examine the forms that it is required to file with the government and interview some of the organization's officials.

I. Open-Closed

     Locate an open shop and a closed shop among the businesses in the city and compare them in terms of:

1. Reasons for status.
2. Salaries.
3. Worker satisfaction with the plan.
4. Owner's view of the situation.

J. Survey

     Find out the going loan interest rates for home mortgages, automobiles, home improvement and for personal and business purchases. Compare these to the prime rate. Locate someone who has decided to take out a loan or not to borrow because of the rate, and personalize the piece.

K. Sharing

     If there is a profit-sharing business or cooperative in town, do a historical profile of it. Find out who founded the business and why. How has the business fared? What do workers and management think of the arrangement?

L. Rent

     Do a housing rental survey of the community. If you prefer to limit it to student rentals, fine. Find out about availability of rental units, going rental charges, quality of housing.

M. New Business

     Interview the owner of a newly opened business. In your story, balance the financial aspect of the investment with the human interest detail that will personalize it. How much was borrowed? At what interest rate? How much of the person's savings were involved? What are the anticipated earnings? What does the owner's family think of the new business? Has the owner had any experience in the field? Does the business have any novel approaches? Remember, this is not a publicity puff but a careful examination of the facets of a new business.

N. Promotion

     Locate a company official who recently has been promoted and write a profile, blending the person's business life with his or her personal background.

O. Execs

     How many women are in executive positions in the city's major industries and businesses? Women constitute what percentage of the total number of executive positions? How recently have they been hired or promoted? What do they think of the status of women in business?

P. Construction

     Obtain information on building permits over the last quarter, half year or year and compare it with previous periods. Interview people connected with the building trades. What is the overall situation?

Q. Prime

     Localize the latest prime rate. Talk to bankers, officials of savings and loan associations, builders, automobile dealers and others to ascertain the local consequences. Put this latest figure in the context of the past several months and look for a trend.

R. Shares

     Find a local company that has issued stock that is traded. It may not be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or other exchanges in your newspaper, but local brokers may trade it in the over-the-counter market. Trace the history of the stock: its price fluctuations, earnings, dividends, major stockholders. Interview company officials to determine whether they plan any new offerings or are trying to buy back stock.

S. Finance

     How do local people or companies raise money to start a business? Ask some local business leaders, bankers, securities dealers.

T. Handouts

     Many newspapers carry public relations releases in their food, business, fashion, real estate and travel sections. Does yours?