Small Business Owners Deserve Research, Too!
Our small business clients need answers. They want to know they truly understand their customers in order to improve on what they've got, to figure out what comes next, or to shift their business strategy to changing tides.
Ordinary market & design research firms work with too much overhead for small businesses to afford. At MaaxaLabs, we prioritize supporting businesses we believe in and offer heavily discounted pricing and for local, startup, and small businesses.
We serve Portland, PNW, and anywhere we can travel or conduct remote research. These options are for limited budgets - the kind of clients we love to help.
Here are a few examples of efficient, rigorous, budget-friendly customer/market research projects we’ve done that have helped my small business customers survive and thrive. After many years with big agencies and principal roles in companies with research teams, we’ve returned to our roots in order to answer the questions small businesses need answered to take the risk out of their business decisions. - and through June 20204, I’m offering a series of specials for small businesses specifically.
*I helped a gelato shop solve its problem with a backed-up line after the local school gets out by witnessing parents & kids struggle with the menus on the wall over four observation sessions. I mapped the steps in their ordering process, got their direct feedback on expectations and pain points, and recommended a top 10 menu and register process changes that rocked their bottom line and increased their revenue by 11%
*A small business had a small successful launch of their first makeup applicator product but needed to increase sales to stay afloat. The market was both asking for an accessory to the first product and a second applicator for a different use case. I sat down with the owner to collaborate and, in two hours, designed a lightning survey that 1) benchmarked satisfaction on the first product, 2) measured the need for an accessory, and 3) surveyed the market to understand the business case for a second product. With insights in hand, the entrepreneur was able to prioritize her roadmap and make data-driven decisions that satisfied her backers and formed a solid business plan.
*A clothing boutique was seeing their number drop off as their speciality slowed in popularity. What to introduce to their shelves? I organized a focus group with six ideal customers to workshop 1) why they had previously shopped there, 2) what their clothing budgets look like in 2023 and beyond, where else they shop , and what they plan to add to their wardrobe in upcoming months 3) how their tastes are changing over time and what trends they’re excited about, and 4) what kinds of merchandise or changes would bring them in to shop in the next two weeks. The owners were able to use these insights to plan their stock for the next year, and experienced and increase of nearly 25% over the previous year.
