[Paul Elliott]

I didn't do any market research as I began my marketing business many years ago. I suppose, because I had started out in the printing business, I knew where the particular market was I wanted to enter and where some of the business already was. Of course, my directions quickly changed as I acquired different clients than I had initially pursued.

However, I do do market research for my clients (or get them to do it for themselves) before I accept them as formal clients. I also require them to put together a written business plan, if they don't already have one, including a 24-month pro forma. This is more for them than it is for me, since I insist they know where they are headed before we leave the blocks.

Your experience bears out mine. Far too many people begin a business doing what THEY wish to do rather than what their market needs. Of course, they may fall into an excellent niche, but they may also fail spectacularly.

Many restaurants are begun this way. Certainly there always hungry people and there always room for one more Chinese Buffet or Mexican restaurant, . . . but if those hungry people aren't close to your restaurant, or there are already 5 Mexican restaurants in your town of 2,500 people, excellent food and excellent service are simply no enough. You have a real marketing problem on your hands.

Yes, you can be the last Mexican restaurant standing . . . and make a profit, but your marketing program has to have excellent engineering and flawless execution carried out persistently and consistantly for that result.

But I LOVE those desperate marketing problems . . . provided I get to them while the owners still have the money to fund their success and the desire to put in the hard work necessary to succeed . . . massively!

Paul