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Excellent Market Research Tips For Entrepreneurs

By Michelle Fisher


Business reports indicate that a large percent of ideas and startups die out in a year or two. This is attributed to insufficient or total failure to conduct market research. The same trend is seen when established brands introduce new ideas and products. As such, the failure is never about lack of funds. It takes razor sharp planning and understanding of the business environment to successfully implement an idea.

A little planning, diligence and proper timing of decision is required to succeed in market entry. Always begin by investigating about the environment as an individual before passing the responsibility to a professional firm or co-workers. One of the methods you can use in this examination is SWOT analysis. This involves examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to executing your idea.

Gather qualitative and quantitative data on target area of operation. With the SWOT analysis and background study you have already conducted, discuss with potential clients the specifics of your idea and how the market is likely to receive it. Some of these discussions may take place through social media and web engagements. Focus groups are another excellent way to get firsthand information.

Surveys are aimed at gathering information for use in decision making. In order to get the right information, you need to ask the right questions. Begin with friendly and easy questions that help you create a good rapport and which the respondent can confidently answer. Afterwards, ask the hard hitting direct questions. Forcing a respondent to give a particular answer will skew your survey results. The resulting findings will not be reliable.

Turn the information you have received into action. Discussions and questions to respondents should give you valuable information about customer perceptions, needs and challenges. Use this information to develop a plan of action. Create what is referred to as SMART goals. This means that they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timed. Since you do not control the market, you should be ready to make adjustments when need arises.

When ideas are being generated, they are very brilliant. Once introduced, they are shaken by customer reception and unexpected challenges. Some people give up at this stage and abandon the best ideas. Use these encounters to sharpen your idea and make it more relevant. Some people will try to modify your idea to suit their needs. Have the bigger picture in mind when doing your marketing.

Ideas should remain confidential before implementation. This prevents plagiarism and theft which could give your competitors an upper hand and dilute your plans. Be conscious of the possibility of respondents being biased and giving skewed information. As such, evaluate the answers provided and be cautious when choosing a respondent. Identify respondents who are honest and unlikely to leak information.

Funds are not always available to conduct a comprehensive research. The alternatives at your disposal include an internet based surveys. Invest time into sharpening your idea and understanding the environment such that you will not waste time and resources hitting the wrong targets. Every detail of your plan should be scheduled. Be quick to change decisions that do not work.




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