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Vision, Goals and Plans

1. Clearly state the research objectives. What is it that you want to know?

2. Supply background information. What is the history of the market? Define the problem to be solved or the reason for the research.

3. Set action standards for the research. What decision will you take once you have the answers? For example - "We will use this research to help us target our advertising more effectively."

4. Decide who it is you are researching. eg. Former customers, existing customers, people living in a certain suburb, people of a certain age group or whatever. How would you define the group?

5. Decide what information you are seeking. Considering the set objectives, what areas need to be investigated?

6. How about timing? Does anything need to be taken into consideration regarding the timing of the research? For example, the results might differ before and after an advertising campaign.  When are the research findings needed by? Are there any information priorities?

7. Consider what research method would best suit your needs and budget. There is no point in using the cheapest method of researching the market if it fails gives you accurate results. For example, a written questionnaire sent out with your accounts is likely to generate a different response than might be expected from a focus group.

Decide what methodology best suits your needs and consider the following steps:

Define your vision.
What does this look like to you? What is your vision on this goal and how do you see it in the final stages? Get as clear as you can

Clarify your mission.
The challenge is not achieving what you want; it's knowing what you want. Create a clear, exciting mission statement that aligns with your strategic objectives. Get as clear as you can and write down all details. Why do you want this?

Identify your purpose.
Why are you doing this? What purpose does it solve? Think through the complete process on why this will be of value and the outcome you see happening.