Market Research - a new workshop for entrepreneurs & investors. Understanding customer needs and the market, accounts for 70% of top factors separating success and failures of BC technology products When Market Research is needed:  You have block buster technology. How do you go about sizing the market and understanding the competitive landscape? You are a product manager that needs to develop that next big product idea. How should you go about doing this? You are a marketing executive looking to increase revenues. How should you determine the markets ripe with opportunities? Workshop Overview: The focus of this one-day unique workshop is on the application of various marketing research methods to specific decision areas. Learn how to design marketing research studies to: Understand your customers, your industry, your product requirements and your competitive environment. Segment your markets and position your products/ services in the targeted marketplace. Generate new product ideas, test concepts and products, measure market performance and track changes. New Report: What factors separate succcess and failure of BC technology products?  Click here for new report  Market Research workshop Video Why attend?  Whether you are a new CEO, CTO, market manager, product manager or a veteran entrepreneur looking to invest, you know you need the right market information to make good and informed decisions. In spite of the increasing access to information available through the Internet, it is still a daunting challenge for the uninitiated. Knowing how to efficiently gather information and effectively analyze it can make the job of market research that much easier. 42 people have registered to date - late registrations are $280 before Sept 6 deadline. Register here When: Wed Sept 8, 2010,  7:30 am check-in until 5:30 pm. Register here  Next one in fall 2011. Click here to be notified of future workshops.   Where: Room 7000, 7th floor of SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings St. downtown Vancouver. Street Map / Parking and nearest hotel Who should attend: Ideally, you should be a senior level person at a company with some revenue or well funded, at least 5 employees and are significantly expanding marketing efforts or with R&D well underway. Also it is ideal for an Investor who is validating or advising an investee company. Entrepreneurs who are at the going-commercial stage or developing their business plan are welcome.  If you know someone who would benefit, please forward this page address to them. What will I learn? ·        How to go about sizing a market? ·        How to define customer needs? ·        How to position your product in the marketplace? ·        How to analyze your competitors? ·        How does one get “primary market information” and “secondary market information” quickly and without breaking the budget? ·        What research techniques and methods work best at certain times? ·        How to test new product ideas and products? ·        How do you organize to ask questions to give you the right answers? Click here for detailed agenda (subject to change). This workshop is designed to be highly interactive for all attendees in a confidential protected environment (no solicitations). The format will be a blend of presentations, speaker panels and a case study with lots of time for Q&A and networking.  42 people have registered to date - late registrations are $280 before Sept 6 deadline. Register here   Speakers: The workshop will be led by Lyn Blanchard of Creekstone Consulting Inc. who has over twenty years of senior management experience in telecommunication and other technology sectors. Lyn has advised, over the last ten years, a wide range of technology companies at various stages of corporate development. Her market research experiences include focus group moderation, market assessments, market validation work, feasibility studies, strategic planning, competitor analysis - all enabled  by a variety of research techniques and methodologies. She is a member of the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), BCTIA and is a Certified Management Consultant.  For her Market Research article on New Product Development, click here. Other speakers/panelists:  John Hawkins, Senior Product Project Manager, Telus Communications, Evi Mustel, Owner, Mustel Group Market Research, James Mazur President, GoneFishing Consulting Inc.,  Peter Payne, Director Business Intelligence, BC Technologies Industries Assoc and Selma Zafar Senior User Experience Designer with Open Road Communications Ltd.   Organizer: Bob Chaworth-Musters has an extensive background in corporate finance, international banking and investment management in Vancouver, the Middle East and London, England. In 1997, he started the ANGEL Forum - Vancouver - one of the largest angel groups in Canada and he is a Founding 100 Member of the Canada's National Angel Organization. At the Angel Forum, usually ~ 20 pre-screened technology, service and industrial companies seeking equity funding up to $1 million, present and exhibit to ~ 50 pre-screened investors. Since 1998, it has offered Investor Ready workshops for entrepreneurs and investors. Fun Elevator Pitch contest: All attendees are asked in the morning to introduce themselves in 20 seconds (suggested content could be the name of your company, the specific market need that you want to research and your product that meets the need). This is great for networking among attendees. Some prizes for best pitches. Handout Materials: Presentation and resource materials in a bound book will be provided at check in to aid in your note taking at the workshop. For privacy reasons, a list of attendees will not be available. Article: How to conduct Competitive Research   Bring a Friend or Associate: You save ~10% if you register at the same time, a second person or more on your registration.   What is the Cost to Attend?  Space is limited and is on a first come basis before August 31 (our workbook printing deadline). The registration fee for this full-day, all-inclusive workshop includes a bound workbook, coffee and muffins at check-in, mid morning coffee; sandwich lunch in the workshop room and mid afternoon refreshments.   Registration Fee - per person plus HST, in C$ (tax deductible) payable by VISA or MasterCard Last 20 Registrations before Sept 7   Investor or Entrepreneur       $280 Bring a friend on your registration and save ~ 10%   $250 Due Diligence & Valuation 100+ page workbook: checklists, case studies, presentations, reference articles, 12 page glossary, book list.       sold out   Registration: Use "Market Research workshop" link during registration (click here) - please do not log out until you have paid by credit card. Your payment will be receipted immediately via e-mail from "system-mail@confmanager.com".   Amend your existing registration?    - Use the User ID & Password emailed from "system-mail@confmanager.com" after you registered.  - Use them to log in here, then use the Market Research workshop page link to amend your registration,   Any questions or problems? email us bob @ angelforum.org     Important to Workshop Attendees: A workbook of the PowerPoint presentations and Articles is included for note taking. Coffee/tea available early and mid morning with cold drinks at mid afternoon. Sandwich Lunch is included. Seating is limited and is on a first completed registration basis. There is no on-site registration. Only VISA and MasterCard credit cards are accepted to reserve a seat (no Cheques). If payment is not completed online within 24 hours, a seat will not be reserved.  Your payment will be receipted immediately via e-mail from system-mail@confmanager.com.  You will receive by e-mail further details approx. 1 week before the Workshop date. No refund within 60 days of the event date, but another person may attend in your place.  Any refund (before 60 days of the event date) will be subject to a $25 fee (credit card fee & time) deducted from the refund. Registrants who fail to attend will not receive a refund or credit. How to conduct practical market research that will drive your business. When money is tight, you need to make sure you’ve done your homework. No company can afford not to research it's markets. Many investors tell us that companies need better research on their markets and competitors. Ready to research your business and prepare the market research section of your business plan? Market research is an important part of your business plan since it offers an in-depth study of your business and the environment in which you will operate.  It will save you time and money and will give you a sense of what your competitors are doing as well as what your customers need. Learn which primary and secondary research methods that will continue to evaluate your business idea.   After carefully studying your industry, competitors and customers, you will have a much clearer idea of how to effectively target your market and spend your money wisely. Site updated July 19, 2010