By MARK RIFFEY, for the Flathead Beacon.
Last time we talked briefly about things to consider in the early going of the business you just started.
We talked a little about the product/service, but focused mostly on some basics about licenses/permits and getting supplies with a little taste of business model talk.
The reality is that we shouldn’t have talked about most of that stuff, but we had to start with that conversation because it’s the type of thing new business owners expect to hear.
You might be thinking “I’ve already got a product, I’ve already got a business (even if it’s only a few days old) and I need to know what to do to start. NOW. RIGHT NOW. So help, already…”
Problem is, that’s not the best place to start if you want to build something lasting.
Fake left, go right
Sorry for rushing ahead last time, but I wanted to get you into analysis mode just a little bit before we moved ahead (or back) to this step.
We did talk briefly about the business model and I hope that provoked you a little. Ideally, it made you think that you might not have all the info you need to work out the details of your model. Those of you who thought hard about it probably wondered if you didn’t have a lot more work to do.
You do.
Before you order those business cards, buy those supplies, determine your costs and set your prices…you need to research your market.
This means far more than doing a keyword check to see how many Google searches there are for “gold plated harmonica” (if that’s your business), much less finding out if GoldPlatedHarmonica.com is available and at what level the competition is already delivering these items. Those things are just part of the process.
Questions, questions
How much do you really know about the market you’re entering? Assuming the market isn’t brand new, have you researched industry product, service, supply and performance trends? What do they indicate as areas of opportunity? Areas to avoid? What are the emerging product/service trends in this market?
Are you familiar enough with your prospective ideal customer to enter their market? Or will you stand out in the wrong way and alienate your business from them?
Who buys gold plated harmonicas? Where do they live? What kind of stores do they purchase music supplies in? What else do they buy at the same time? How many are sold per year? Where are they purchased – online, in stores or both? How many are purchased annually? Are their peaks and valleys in purchasing habits? Are there peaks and valleys in supply? Are there legislative, import or similar issues that you must deal with at startup or on a one-time basis? Are there any liability concerns for the product and its use?
How many do they buy over their lifetime as a purchaser of gold-plated harmonicas? Is there a progression of better and better purchases? Is there the possibility of referrals by your existing customers to others who favor gold-plated harmonicas? Are there opportunities to render service, deliver purchases or offer training classes?
At what age do people start upgrading to gold-plated harmonicas? At what age do they stop purchasing? How do people decide to be in the market for gold-plated harmonicas? What do they buy in the year or two prior to moving up to a gold-plated one? Where can you buy replacement parts? Is there a repair market or do people replace them? Is there a scrap market? (they are gold-plated, after all)
Who dominates the market today? Why do they dominate the market? What will you do to set yourself apart from them? Is it possible to partner with them?
These questions come into play when writing a marketing plan but many of them also have bearing on your business model / business plan.
Are you asking enough of the right questions? Are you doing the research necessary to assure that your business plan / model make sense given the market of available buyers?
These questions are not intended to scare you out of a market. Quite the contrary, they are intended to make your entry strong enough to keep you there.
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site, contact him on Twitter, or email him at mriffey@flatheadbeacon.com
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Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations, or marketing problem? See Mark’s site, contact him on Twitter, or email him at mriffey@flatheadbeacon.com.
Check out the Flathead Beacon archive of all of Mark’s blogs.
