Ahoy and welcome to this week’s edition on,

CUSTOMER RESEARCH
Business curichulam is a platform where like-minded entrepreneurs come and share ideas, experiences
and network to nurture growth in their respective business path.

Are you sure you want to toss you product right into the center of the competitive
market just yet?

Well, picture this.

You invested 50% of your weekly allowance not to mention the hearty drinking days off with your
buddies you will never recover. Just as you are about post your product as usual on your status, upset
no one has reached out for the past two weeks, one nerve wracking thought hits and you can’t help but
run to the urinal.

YOU HAVE BEEN MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS!!

✓ How much your market is willing to pay.
✓ How your pricing compares to the competitors in terms of value and money.
✓ What the right marketing message is for your market.
✓ What the most effective marketing channels to reach you target consumers are.
✓ How your product compares to the competition in the eyes of the consumer.
✓ Why your current customers buy from you.
✓ If your product caters for the markets evolving needs.
✓ What new markets you can explore?

Customer data is the piece of the puzzle that will help you validate assumptions. Creating a feedback
loop with your customers will not only inform your decisions but also keep you relevant in the market.
• A good example is how REGALIAAPPAREL has kept itself relevant in the market by listening to
the ever-changing wants of their clients, from dying t-shirts to shorts, pants, hoodies and
sweatshirts. (Skip to the last section if you have no idea what REGALIAAPPAREL is)

Doing your customer research should start right from the drafting of the business plan or business
model. It will help you understand the markets perspective and protect you from your false assumptions
that are costing you precious cashflow.

How to do your customer research

i. Surveys
ii. Customer interviews
iii. One on one conversations with customers
iv. Existing paid databases
Useful research tools
• Google trends - Analyses the popularity of top search queries.
• Ubersuggest – shows you keywords search volume.
• Google analytics –Help you track how users engage with your website.
• Make my persona – Help you create a buyer persona that will help you categorize your
customers.
• Statistica – Provides data analysis for specific topics.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT! (Mr. Gachie, REGALIAAPPAREL co-founder’s story)

@REGALIAPPAREL is a fashion design brand that works with acrylic paints to color fabrics and process
them to apparel including shorts, pants, hoodies and sweatshirts.

“I have business partners who are very important, they can either make your business a success
or collapse the whole idea”. They started as a group of three close friends who believed they had a
solution to “the lack of authentic designs we can identify with as a country”.

From buying ready made plain white t-shirts and dying them, they went on to diversify and are now tye
and dying shorts, pants, hoodies and sweatshirts.

“Marketing is one of the most important pillars in a business as you might be having the best
product but no one has information about it”. A marketing method that worked well for
REGALIAAPPAREL was connecting with relevant Instagram influencers. Something they are still working
on. They would send PR packages in exchange for promotion of their designer apparel. Other marketing
methods they use are word of mouth, making appearances on pop up markets (check out instamarket
for reference) and are currently working on a website. www.regaliaapparel.com.

It goes without saying you need to make financial sacrifices. REGALIAAPPAREL started with an initial
capital investment of 10,000ksh that has since grown to 100,000ksh.

o 7,000ksh for photoshoots so far.

o 30,000ksh for the upcoming website.
o 10,000ksh for business and bank registration
o Other recurring expenses (fabric, color and labor).

The reason as to why most fashion startups stagnate, according to Mr. Gachie is;

• Production is expensive. Lack of capital flow kills so many fashion startups.

• Producing products that relate to you not to the market. Produce marketable products.
• Lack of consistency. Make sure you are continually making strides however small.
• Failure to research on what best suits your business. Avoid copy pasting at all costs.

” Above all put God first”.

Engage with @regaliaapparel on Instagram

Over and out.