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may be able to get a them to discuss the Ask them searching
lot of useful ways in which they do questions about their

information by business. buying habits and the
asking friends and Try to find out about kind of prices they are

contacts, looking at competitors – look at prepared to pay for
adverts in the local their promotional litera- your product or service.

paper and Yellow ture, find out about You must, of course,

Pages. If you are their prices and use treat all this

aiming for wider their products yourself information with care –

sales your local if possible. people are sometimes

library should have If you plan to trade likely to tell you what

much of the in the “High Street” it they think you want to

published material is absolutely vital that hear!

on market sizes, you research the By the time you

trends, statistics and location. How many have completed your

so on, a great deal of potential customers will research you will have

it being Government be walking past your some good ideas about

infor-mation which door in any given how your business

you can obtain free location? This traffic might develop. You

of charge. You shold flow is crucial to your can use the information

also look at news- chances of success in you have found to good

papers, adverti- this type of operation. effect. For a start, it

sements and direc- Look and listen when will allow you to make

tories to get a “feel” visiting the locations. some informed

for your market. And finaly, talk to decisions about pricing.

If there will be the people who may

middlemen between buy from you. Visit

your customer (such them, or telephone

as retailers and them, or mail them

distributors) visit with a questionnaire.

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