Distribution channels are one of the key aspects of driving your business. Listed as one of marketing’s 4 P’s, placement, or distribution, is part of the overall marketing strategy of a business. Whether you are a small or large business owner, it’s important to ensure your business is using the correct distribution channels to get your product to your customer.

Start-up businesses can easily fall short of their dreams and goals by not making the right business decisions. There are so many factors that go into creating a successful enterprise that a lot of businesses don’t think about because they get too focused on their product or idea and don’t look at what could happen in the future.

The development of sensor technology has launched many different technology devices in the past decade. From FitBits to iWatches, the technology we see in these small devices is, simply put, incredible. As the technology becomes more accessible, we are seeing more and more industries getting involved with not just smart wearable devices, but smart apparel.

With all new business ventures comes risk. Once an entrepreneur begins the process of developing a strong business concept and model, they need to consider the market they are about to enter. The key to success is taking the time to thoroughly understand the market landscape, which means investing in market research to analyze all aspects of the market.

A quick downfall for many companies is competition. Even if your company or brand is offering an amazing product, if the competition does it better, than your product might die out. Knowing who your competitors are and understanding how you compare to them in the consumer's eye is a crucial part in creating a great marketing campaign.

According to Bloomberg, about 80% of entrepreneurs' business ventures fail within the first 18 months. Whether or not these entrepreneurs work to turn things around, I’m not sure. But, what I do know is that once a business begins the downward spiral, there are ways that you can direct your business back to the right track, one of which, and potentially the most crucial, is market research.

Organization's views on market research vary from company to company. Factors, such as the corporate culture, sales revenue, and overall marketing strategy, can determine the budget allocated for market research. For most companies, market research is known to play an important role in pivotal business decisions; yet, for some companies, the need doesn't always match the budget available.

At some point or another, all undergraduate and graduate students will be assigned an intensive research project or thesis, or dissertation in the case of PhD candidates. Sometimes, these assignments can seem overwhelming at first. Not only is there substantial research to be done, but the research that is already available is wide-ranging. However, not all research found online is up-to-date or the level of quality needed for these types of projects. Being able to find enough sources, analyze them, and then organize them into a paper is difficult even for the best writers.

When making important decisions that will impact your business, it’s critical to have accurate information that supports your conclusions. One of the biggest problems entrepreneurs and small business owners face is acquiring syndicated research that provides all the specific market and competitor data they need to support their decision for a price that is affordable, yet without sacrificing the value of using multiple sources.