AMA Complete Guide to Marketing Research for Small Business

Book excerpt: For most small business owners the term "marketing research" presents a dilemma. On one hand, it can mean getting the invaluable information needed to know one's customers better and to make critical business decisions based on the best information possible. On the other hand, it can mean spending a lot of money to get results that are not very useful. "The AMA Complete Guide to Marketing Research for Small Business" solves that dilemma with 1 1 practical, easy-to-use chapters that show the non-research specialist how to conduct useful research on a limited budget. This step-by-step guide provides the basic information needed to: Define problems and research objectives clearly. Select the right research method for the problem. Design useful and usable questionnaires. Develop cost-effective mail and phone surveys. Get the most from the information you gather. Select and work profitably with outside vendors. Develop cost-conscious budgets that enable you to get the most for your investment. All this information is organized in a convenient, easy-to-use format with handy checklists and worksheets in every chapter. The final section of the book is in-depth, real-world-based case studies showing how small businesses have used the techniques presented in the book to solve their most perplexing marketing problems--quickly and inexpensively. The book ends with a handy glossary of commonly used marketing research terms.