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Any new venture comes with a number of challengers. The main question is normally whether or not the target customers will accept the idea. Besides, understanding the needs and preferences of customers helps in gaining competitive edge over rivals. The market is also dynamic, which means that businesses should be responsive to change in order to survive. It is important to conduct market research before launching any new venture because the process helps in formulating good strategies, identifying better possibilities, and understanding customer needs and preferences. Market research is also useful in analysing competition, reducing anticipated losses, and conducting evaluation before launching new products/ideas.

• Market research helps in formulating good strategies. The success of any business depends of the strategies that are adopted. This fact means that in order to understand the market, it is vital to find out what is missing and come up with possible solutions. These solutions are called business strategies, as highlighted in 101 Business Idea’s: Tips and Strategy. Therefore, market research is useful in formulating plans to help a new venture/idea succeed.
• Market research helps in identifying better possibilities. The best way to know what customers want is to ask them. By conducting market research on a new venture, a business can identify new opportunities to improve their original idea. Besides, The Essential Management Handbook stipulates that any good idea should be flexible enough to allow for improvement. This fact means that before launching any new product, it is vital to find out how it can be made better. This process can be made possible by conducting thorough market research on the idea.
• Market research helps in understanding customer needs and preferences. What customers like about a product or service is bound to change over time. AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics with 4 Practice Tests (Barron’s Ap Microeconomics/Macroeconomics) highlights that the satisfaction that customers get from products also diminishes as they consume more, which means that it is vital to ask them what they want. Therefore, in order to understand a market, it is important to conduct research on the changing needs and preferences.
• Market research is useful in analysing competition. Beating existing business and new entrants in a venture can be a difficult task. For this reason, in order to be effective in countering rivals in business, it is vital to understand how they work and the strategies that they employ in their businesses. Therefore, market research helps in knowing how competitors work and formulating plans to counter them.
• Market research helps in reducing anticipated losses. Businesses can sometimes experience losses because of poor planning. The best way to minimize loses is lowering risks. Such risks can be identified by surveying the market before any new venture. Therefore, through market research, a business can be able to mitigate risks that would have resulted in losses if the original plans were adopted.
• Market research helps in conducting evaluation before launching new products/ideas. Market research should be conducted before actualizing any new idea in business. This fact means that the process can act as a tool for testing how customers will respond to the venture. This process will also help in changing any parameters that get negative reception by the target market.

Market research is an essential business procedure, especially for new products. Besides, is helps in coming up with good strategies, identifying preferred opportunities, and understanding what the market wants. Market research is also important before launching any product because it can assist in understanding competitors, minimizing possible losses, and getting customer consent.

Ochieng' Omolo

Founder and Managing Director at JO&AL, which is a knowledge-based company whose clarion call is to “help people and businesses get out of the cubicle and create wealth.” The company has combined different methods of making money to create effective resources for beginners and experts. The focus is to conform to the global changes brought about by information technology. JO&AL’s commodity of trade is “Knowledge”. We are a reflection of a transformation that is taking place in our national and global society. Currently, learning is continuously being redefined for formal and lifelong learners in both public and private sectors. Consequently, we deal with affiliates, advertisers, agencies, and entrepreneurs. Our private fora coach individuals interested in leveraging their careers for business.