by Melanie Scott
chairman, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Kent branch

Whilst busy preparing for Kent 2020 Start-up Live, I’ve been shocked and saddened to hear of the uphill struggle start-ups face.

It seems 70% are expected to fail and what’s even more shocking, is how closely this stat seems to correspond with the estimates for the number of businesses that fail to conduct market research.

Although outwardly I’m quite happy to dismiss this as unfounded rubbish – I can’t help but wonder how the statistics would change if more companies actively engaged in research before opening shop.

Based on experience of my own start-up, these days I’m a staunch advocate of market research and I can’t stress enough how valuable it can be.

Whether you’re new in business looking to test a concept, or a small to medium size enterprise looking to gauge client satisfaction, with the right set of questions you’ll be able to collect actionable insights, helping ensure you drive your business forward smartly and in line with both the current and future needs of your customers.

If you're thinking research is a tool reserved for big business, think again.

Although getting a professional agency to help you get the answers to important questions, will often mean a more professional solution, there are other ways to ask a question, such as using one of the many online services available.

Another area of marketing for which research can be very useful is public relations (PR).

A couple of editions back you might recall my online PR piece and the need for compelling content – well, by using research the appeal of your content can soar and there’s nothing a journalist loves more than a research based story.

If the topic of market research is something you would like to learn more about then come along to our next workshop.

The event entitled Using Research for PR, will involve expert Suzi Christie from Blueberry PR, demonstrating how research can be used in this way, as well as providing a lot of tips.

In the run-up to the workshop, Suzi is inviting all Kent marketers and small business owners to participate in a short online research survey which you can reach using the following link www.surveymonkey.com/s/DRZPLPB.
For workshop details visit www.cim.co.uk/events.

• For more information on market research, visit www.mrs.co.uk or http://www.cimmarketingexpert.co.uk for your Chartered Institute of Marketing research toolkit