The new Online Learning Center from the U.S. Small Business Administration includes a free tool that allows businesses to investigate their local competition and marketplace, as described in an article from Yahoo! Small Business Advisor.

The widget from SizeUp, a company that aims to “deliver big-business-level intelligence to small businesses,” is a useful instrument for examining your current market or investigating potential markets for expansion. In the case of a salon, it could also shed some light on types of diversification that may be lacking in your marketplace. It provides data on the revenue of similar businesses, customer insights and clues about the best places to advertise.

You start by entering your industry and location into the widget. You can get specific, or go with a broader category to compare to secondary competitors. Then you have the options to compare your business to competitors, map competitors, customers and suppliers, or find the best places to target advertisements. Different inputs will help you find information on your cost effectiveness, revenue per capita at various levels, employee turnover rates and other industry comparisons.

This data comes hundreds of sources including IRS records, county courthouse filings, business publications, annual reports, according to SizeUp.

Click here to read more from Yahoo! Small Business Advisor.