Knowledge is 力／強力にする: How to do market 研究 to make a 商売／仕事 idea a 勝利者

By Emma Gunn

Updated: 14:05 BST, 29 May 2013

Although starting up a new 商売／仕事 is an exciting prospect, it's important not to 急ぐ straight in without really checking out where your idea will fit in to the market.

To be a success and make a 利益（をあげる） you need to find a gap in the market to 偉業／利用する. Whether you are looking to 開始する，打ち上げる a 革命の new 製品 idea or 申し込む／申し出 a new service to an unconquered area, your 目的（とする） will be the same - to stand out.

Your most useful 道具 therefore, will be 研究. Taking your time at the start of your 投機・賭ける will save you money and hassle その上の 負かす／撃墜する the line, so it is important not to skip the this step.

Market 研究 essentially 伴う／関わるs a systematic review of the area you are looking in to and your 可能性のある 顧客 base. It can be the difference between a 栄えるing and successful 商売／仕事 and an expensive 失敗.

Market 研究 失敗s: 攻撃する，衝突する BBC show The 見習い工 定期的に features its contestants failing to listen to what people want, often with 悲惨な results.

Why it's important

欠陥s you find in your grand 計画（する） at the start of the 過程 will be much easier to 訂正する than その上の 負かす／撃墜する the line.

加える, having a better understanding of your market will help you to create a 商売／仕事 戦略, 供給するing you with more （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） about how many staff you might need to 雇う, how big your 前提s will need to be and how much 在庫／株 you might need to start with.

The more （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） you have to help you 計画（する）, the いっそう少なく likely you are to waste money.

All the data you gather will also be 決定的な for any 投資 pitches you have to make; 準備 will 増加する the 見込み that 投資家s will consider you as a sensible bet.

Market 研究 will also 供給する you with a better understanding of your 競争 - and 最終的に how to make your 商売／仕事 成し遂げる be tter than others. Gov.uk has made a ビデオ explaining this in more 詳細（に述べる）. Click here to watch it.

There are many different ways you can 行為／行う market 研究, from hitting your 地元の high street and interviewing 可能性のある 顧客s to analysing 傾向s in larger market data.

If your 商売／仕事 is on the smaller end of the 規模, you will be able to collect most, if not all, of the necessary market data yourself. If your 目的（とする）ing for 全世界の 支配, you might need some outside help.

Find 解放する／自由な market data

?

There are a whole host of places you can find 統計（学） on your chosen market.

Although the Office for 国家の 統計（学） website is a bit of a maze, you can find （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） on pretty much anything if you look hard enough.

That 含むs people's spending habits, how prices change and demographics, to 指名する just a few useful things.

In 新規加入,YouGov Sixth Sense, and the British Library 商売／仕事 & IP Centre both 申し込む／申し出 a lot of useful 資源s that are 価値（がある） checking out.

It might also be 価値（がある） checking out the British Library's workshops and events section for 適切な時期s to 網状組織 with others at the same 行う／開催する／段階 as you and get advice from 専門家s who have been through it before.

Remember, if you do have a direct competitor you might be able to find out a lot from their sales data, or just looking at what they are doing.

攻撃する，衝突する the streets: Asking the public what they think could help your new 商売／仕事 be a success

Do you need 専門家 help?

If your 商売／仕事 投機・賭ける is a little bit more ambitious it might be 価値（がある） 支払う／賃金ing for 研究 tailored 特に to you, from companies such as Mintel, Data 監視する and Euromonitor.

A professional service might be helpful in 的ing the 権利 people and asking the 権利 questions if you are 自信のない.

It's always 価値（がある） checking out a few to make sure you are getting the best possible price, but you should make sure you use an 信じる／認定／派遣するd company.

A good place to start is the Market 研究 Society's 研究 買い手s Guide, which 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）s all of the 信じる／認定／派遣するd companies in the UK.

You could also try the 独立した・無所属 顧問s Group.

直面する-to-直面する 研究: there's no 代用品，人 for talking to people

There are a number of ways to 計器 opinions on your 商売／仕事 投機・賭ける.

Stopping people on the street in your 地元の area to answer a questionnaire might be one of the hardest ways to get （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状）, but it can often be the best way to get （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） on your 的 market straight from the horse's mouth.

It's important to keep things 簡潔な／要約する though, and make sure people know you are not trying to sell them anything.

If you do 会合，会う anybody who is keen and willing to help, it could be a good idea to 申し込む／申し出 them a coffee in 交流 for a longer 雑談（する）.

Try to be 戦略の about the times of the day and the places you 的.

You could consider 冷淡な-calling, 特に if you don't ha ve the patience to stand outside and 得る，とらえる people's attention as they walk by. There are databases you can buy, with email 演説（する）／住所s and phone numbers, but you might find that people are not terribly receptive and a more personal approach 作品 better.

Another answer is to engage friends and family. Tell them to be honest with you and pitch your ideas to them, their help in 精製するing what you 計画（する） to do and 簡単に telling you what they would like out of a 製品 or service can be invaluable.

Make the most of the web

The internet is one of the best ways to work out 可能性のある 需要・要求する for your 製品 or 商売／仕事.

Although asking friends and family can be helpful to an extent, when it comes to 投資するing your hard-earned cash in a new 商売／仕事, you need 残虐な honesty.

To get a high 容積／容量 of answers quickly and easily you could try using social マスコミ or online 調査する providers.

Social マスコミ is one of the most useful 道具s at your 処分 when it comes to getting a large 容積／容量 of quick, and most importantly 解放する／自由な, answers.

You can use anything from Twitter and LinkedIn to Facebook, but you will need to use a 確かな degree of ありふれた sense when deciding which social 網状組織s to use.

For example, you will be better using LinkedIn if your 可能性のある （弁護士の）依頼人s are other 商売／仕事s. A community Facebook group, on the other 手渡す, might be more 関連した if you want to 始める，決める up a new 地元の shop.

This approach will ha ve the 追加するd 特別手当 of advertising your new 投機・賭ける at the same time, as the people you interact with will 最終的に be your 可能性のある 顧客 base.

You will have to be careful about 明らかにする／漏らすing too much 詳細（に述べる）, though, as you don't want to give away any of your 価値のある ideas.

If your 商売／仕事 的s a 明確な／細部 niche market, 雑談（する） 会議s can also be a? good place to 地位，任命する a questionnaire to get feedback. You could even try the This is Money 会議.

• For more help on how to 保護する your 商売／仕事 idea, read This is Money's guide

If you are looking for a more 匿名の／不明の approach, you could try sending off a question about your 可能性のある 商売／仕事 to an online パネル盤.

For a 料金, the online パネル盤 provider will 循環させる your question to a 選択 of people across different demographics - they are often made up of hundreds of people.

You could consider the YouGov Omnibus, which will cost you about £500 含むing 入ること／参加（者） 料金 and one 基準 question. But within 48 hours it will 供給する you with the answers and demographic （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） from 2,000 回答者／被告s.

Run a 焦点（を合わせる） group

If you can 説得する a 見本 of people to help you out, it is 価値（がある） running a 焦点（を合わせる） group. If you do struggle to get people's attention though, 申し込む／申し出ing them a 割引 or a freebie on your 製品 or service might help.

It is best to keep the group to around eight or ten people and to keep the 開会／開廷／会期 as short and 甘い as possible, so that people won't lose 利益／興味.

You can get the ball rolling by giving the 関係者s a 簡潔な／要約する questionnaire. After they have had time to answer each question get the group to to read their 返答s aloud to 誘発する conversation.

The 対話 is likely to be more illuminating than written 返答s, so make sure you take 公式文書，認めるs.

Asses your 的 audience

Once you have collected the data, 分析 will help you 人物／姿／数字 out where your company will fit in best with the 存在するing market.

Don't panic if the results are not 正確に／まさに what you 手配中の，お尋ね者 or 推定する／予想するd, as adapting is part of the 過程.

For help on 解釈する／通訳するing the data you have collected, take a look at the 独立した・無所属 顧問 Group's （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限ing Qualitative 研究 advice guide.

Remember, opinions are rarely static and thus likely change, so it is 価値（がある） repeating your 研究 at different 行う／開催する／段階s in your 商売／仕事 start-up and beyond.