Search results
Market research and market reports
How to use market research and market reports to understand your marketplace, your customers and their behaviour for better targeting.
Difference between quantitative and qualitative research
The main differences between qualitative and quantitative field research and the basics of using each for your business’ market and customer research.
Primary and secondary market research
Sources of information you can use to learn more about your market business libraries, trade associations, business news and your own data.
What products and services are age-restricted by law?
Products and services that may only be sold to people above a certain age in Northern Ireland – including minimum ages.
Selling age-restricted products online
How to comply with the law when you sell age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco online.
Prevent underage sales
Age verification systems to help your businesses prevent underage sales, including accepted forms of ID and how to refuse sales.
Age-restricted sales
Rules and regulations for selling age-restricted products and services, including tobacco and alcohol, as well as steps to prevent underage sales.
Selling tobacco and nicotine inhaling products
Guidance on preventing the sale or display of tobacco and nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 18.
Six tips for successful primary market research
When you carry out field research to gather market information – ask the right questions, talk to the right people, interpret carefully and be impartial.
Customer research: what you need to know
The key things to find out about your customers and the factors that influence their buying decisions including loyalty, satisfaction and service.
Should I use a market research agency?
How to choose between alternative methods of completing field research and how to find professional researchers if you decide to outsource your field research.
Market trends and competitor intelligence
Key things to find out about your market to remain competitive including the demand for your product or service, market trends and competitors’ plans.
Three market research pitfalls to avoid
Points to bear in mind while utilising the published market data you've gathered: be cautious about out-of-date information and misleading averages.
Five tips for effective market research
Tips to improve the quality of your market research – from using field research and market reports to interpreting the data.
Plan your field research
How to plan your field research for gathering market information including surveys, interviews, observation research and experiments such as blind taste tests.
Measure and monitor your Facebook activity
How to track the success of your business’ Facebook activity using Insights, and use this information to post better content and improve audience engagement
Set up and run a Facebook business page
How Facebook works, how to set up a page and how you can use it as part of your marketing plan to reach your audience and engage wit customers online
Developing your sales forecast
How to improve the accuracy of your forecast by breaking down your sales figures into smaller categories such as by product, market, region or customer.
Sales forecast assumptions
How to build expected changes in your business relating to factors such as your products and your market into a sales forecast.
Plan and forecast sales
How to use sales forecasting, a monthly prediction of your sales, to improve the management of your business and avoid cashflow problems.