Understanding customer needs is important for startups. Secondary research using sources like Google, trade publications, and competitor websites provides some information about market size, growth, competitors, and customer segments. However, there will always be gaps that require primary research through methods like surveys, focus groups, and experiments to understand customer preferences, buying behaviors, and how they may respond to new products. Both quantitative and qualitative research have roles to play, with quantitative research providing statistically valid data on questions like usage and qualitative research providing insights into why customers behave as they do.

1. Understanding Customer Needs

2. Why understand customers? Because they are all different

5. The answer – market research

7. Secondary data – main sources Google A great way of getting quick market research for free Government departments Provide detailed insights on the economy and on many industry sectors Trade associations Most industries have an industry association - they are a great source of market analysis Trade press & magazines Essential reading for an entrepreneur, particularly if he/she has little or no experience of the market Competitor websites & marketing materials Valuable information on marketing activities of competitors Market research reports Mintel and Keynote produce a wide variety of expensive reports that analyse individual markets

11. Remember The entrepreneur can learn much about customers needs simply by chatting to customers, rather than buying expensive market research

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