Market Research Wales

What is Market Research

Market research is the systematic gathering, recording, analysing, and interpreting of data about markets, products or services, and consumers. It helps businesses understand the size of their market, customer needs and preferences, competitor activity, and the external environment (economic, regulatory, technological, social, etc.). It can be both quantitative (numerical data, statistics) and qualitative (opinions, motivations, attitudes).

Why Market Research Matters, Especially for Disabled Entrepreneur Start-Ups

Start-ups in general have limited resources (time, funds, people), so making decisions with as little risk as possible is crucial. For disabled entrepreneurs, there may be additional challenges, such as accessibility, bias, uniqueness of product/service fit, etc. Proper market research can help:

Validate your idea: Ensure there’s demand for what you plan to offer, or adapt it so that it truly serves a need.
Understand your customer more deeply: What are the pain points, what motivates them, and how do they best access services/products?
Find your niche / competitive advantage — Perhaps there are underserved segments (e.g. people with specific accessibility needs) that competitors are ignoring.
Reduce risk: Avoid investing in product features, marketing strategies, or markets that won’t perform.
Make better decisions: From product design to pricing, distribution, messaging, etc., all informed by evidence rather than guesswork.
Pitching & funding: Lenders, investors, and grant-makers like to see evidence that you know your market and have realistic projections.
Improving inclusion & accessibility: Understanding the specific barriers (physical, communication, attitudinal) that affect disabled people allows better design and service provision.

Key Steps in Conducting Market Research

Below is a framework you can follow. Depending on budget, timeframe, you might do all or only some of these.

Define Objectives
What do you want to find out? For example:
- Is there a market for a service that helps wheelchair users navigate urban transport in Cardiff?
- What are the most common accessibility features customers expect in a website?
- Which price points are acceptable for a product for visually impaired users?
Determine Your Target Audience(s)
Who are your customers, or potential customers? Could be disabled people, caregivers, public sector bodies, etc. Segment them by demographics, disability type, geography, etc.
Choose Research Methods
A mix of qualitative (why, how) and quantitative (how many, how much) is often ideal.
Design the Instruments
Design questionnaires, interview guides, tasks for focus groups, etc. Make sure they are accessible (screen-reader friendly, large print, easy language, etc.)
Collect Data
Use different methods depending on your objectives, budget, and audience accessibility.
Analyse Data
Use statistical tools for quantitative; for qualitative, look for themes, quotes, patterns. Segmentation, trends, comparisons.
Present Findings
Reporting should include visuals, clear key takeaways, and recommendations. Accessible formats if needed (e.g., for visually impaired stakeholders).
Take Action
Use insights to refine your product/service, marketing plan, and business model.
Monitor & Review
Markets change; keep an eye on trends and feedback.

Types of Market Research Services & Methods

Here are the services you mentioned, described, and how each can be applied (with benefits and things to look out for):

Service / Method	What It Is	When It’s Useful	Special Considerations for Disabled Entrepreneur Start-Ups
Any consumer or business sample in any country, by any deadline	Getting responses from consumers or businesses anywhere, within a timeframe you set.	Useful for global expansion, benchmarking, or understanding demand in overseas markets.	Ensure accessibility considerations apply across cultures, time zones, and translation and disability norms vary.
Interviews by telephone, post, fax or internet	One-to-one conversations, via phone, mail, fax, or online.	Good for deep understanding; online/internet interviews are often faster and cheaper.	Interviews by telephone, post, fax, or internet
Face-to-face interviews	Meeting in person, you can capture body language, use props, etc.	Best for detailed qualitative insights; when building rapport is important.	Meeting in person, can capture body language, use props, etc.
Focus groups	Good for exploring ideas, reactions to concepts, and comparing opinions.	Need to ensure all can participate (e.g., hearing, seeing, speaking); sometimes one-to-one follow-ups help those less comfortable in groups.	Many clients share the cost of a large survey; each client has a few questions in a larger survey.
Omnibus surveys	Questions must be appropriately worded; ensure the sample includes disabled respondents (sometimes general population surveys under-sample them).	Cost-efficient for getting general data on attitudes, demographics.	Questions must be appropriately worded; ensure sample includes disabled respondents (sometimes general population surveys under-sample them).
Exit Polls	Good for getting immediate feedback, e.g., “why did/didn’t you buy?”	Good for getting immediate feedback, e.g. “why did/didn’t you buy?”	Surveys of people leaving a point of contact (e.g., people leaving a shop, event, etc.)
Segmented analysis and presentation of results	Breaking down data into meaningful subgroups (e.g. by age, disability type, geography) and presenting accordingly.	Need enough sample size in each segment; accessible presentation (e.g., charts accessible, alt text, etc.).	Useful for forecasting, planning medium/long-term, spotting emerging opportunities or threats.
Trend analysis	For the disabled market, look for new technologies, regulatory changes, demographic trends (ageing, disability prevalence), etc.	Looking at changes over time — how behaviour, preferences, and market conditions evolve.	Useful for forecasting, planning medium/long-term, spot emerging opportunities or threats.
Full analysis and detailed reporting	In-depth breakdown, including methodology, data, insights, recommendations.	Vital for strategic decisions; useful when seeking funding; also to guide business strategy.	Reports themselves should be accessible; include sections on implications for disabled users; use clear language; executive summary.

How Businesses Can Benefit, Practical Examples

Here are some practical ways disabled entrepreneur start-ups might use market research, with examples:

Product / Service Fit: Suppose someone wants to create a mobility aid app. Through interviews, focus groups, and online surveys with people with mobility impairments, you find out which features are most valued (e.g., route accessibility information, step-free paths, audio prompts).
Pricing Strategy: Use surveys or omnibus data to see what people are willing to pay, what price bands make sense, and whether subsidies, insurance, or funding would cover costs.
Market Size & Opportunity: Use trend analysis, sample data to estimate how many potential users there are, growth trends, and where demand is increasing. This helps with the business plan and attracting investment.
Communication & Messaging: Through qualitative research, understand what language and framing resonates (e.g., “accessible design” vs “enablement” vs “assistive technology”), what benefits you should emphasise (independence, inclusion, cost savings, etc.).
Channel & Delivery Insights: Research into how disabled people prefer to shop or access services (online vs in person; mobile apps; telehealth, etc). That helps decide whether to invest in in-person services or whether an online platform is sufficient.
Barriers & Pain Points: Understanding what practical, psychological, or systemic barriers disabled users face – accessibility, stigma, cost, legal/regulatory issues. Research helps you design to overcome those.
Competitor & Regulatory Landscape: Learning what competitors exist, what features they offer, their pricing, and also what standards or laws exist (e.g., accessibility laws in different countries).

How to Do Market Research Efficiently & Effectively

Some tips to get good value and avoid pitfalls:

Use mixed methods: combine quantitative (surveys, exit polls) with qualitative (interviews, focus groups).
Think about accessibility from the very start: accessible survey design, interview methods, and group facilitation.
Pilot your instruments (questionnaires, guides) to catch unclear or biased questions.
Ensure sample diversity: include people with different disabilities, from different socio-economic, geographic, and age groups.
Be aware of cost vs depth trade-offs: face-to-face is richer but costlier; omnibus is cheaper but more superficial.
Be realistic about deadlines: rushed research can lead to poor data.
Use external experts when needed: agencies or consultants who specialise in inclusive research, accessible design, or the disabled market.
Protect privacy and consent, especially when working with vulnerable participants.

About Liz Mahoney, CMRS, What She Offers & How She Helps

Image Credit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-mahoney-cmrs/

Liz Mahoney is a seasoned market research specialist (CMRS = Chartered Member of the Market Research Society). Here is how Liz’s services would map onto the above, and how she is positioned to help disabled entrepreneur start-ups:

Any consumer or business sample in any country, by any deadline. Liz can pull together sample frames across geographies, whether you need responses from the UK only, Europe, or a more global response. If you need a fast turnaround, she can deliver under tight deadlines.
Interviews by telephone, post, fax, or internet. Liz can conduct one-to-one interviews using a mode that suits your sample. For disabled entrepreneurs, internet interviews (video, audio) and telephone interviews are often more accessible.
Face-to-face interviews — When nuance, observation, or hands-on evaluation matters, she can arrange them.
Focus groups: Facilitated group discussions; useful for testing prototypes, ideas, messaging, or getting feedback from disabled users in group settings.
Omnibus surveys: For clients who need a few questions in a broader survey, an cost-efficient way to get baseline data.
Exit polls: Quick feedback at points of interaction (shops, events, trade shows). If a disabled entrepreneur is at an expo, say, they can get immediate insight into what visitors thought of their stall/display/product.
Segmented analysis and presentation of results: Breaking down by demographics, disability types, geography, etc, making sure findings are actionable for different sub-groups.
Trend analysis: Looking at how needs, technology, and regulatory environment are moving; forecasting what might be important in 2-5 years for inclusive design, assistive technologies, etc.
Full analysis and detailed reporting: Insightful reports with recommendations tailored to your business. Liz can help with presenting in formats that are accessible and usable (e.g., executive summaries, slide decks, visualisations).

How to Use Liz’s Market Research in a Start-Up Plan

Here’s how a disabled entrepreneur might integrate Liz’s market research services into a launch plan:

Initial Idea Phase
Commission internet/telephone interviews with potential users + focus groups to explore problem space. Use segmentation to identify subgroups.
Prototype / Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Phase
Use omnibus surveys to test pricing options, demand. Use exit polls or face-to-face interviews to observe interaction with the prototype.
Pre-Launch / Marketing / Positioning
Use full survey in key markets; trend analysis to choose messaging; focus groups for branding and voice.
Launch & Monitoring
Use exit polls at sales points; regular omnibus or consumer samples to monitor satisfaction, uptake; segmented analysis to see which groups underperform; trend tracking for emerging needs/improvements.
Funding / Investment
Use detailed reports, data from quantitative surveys, + qualitative insights to show evidence of market demand, customer understanding, and risk mitigation.