Lucy Betcher had worked as a consultant for the Small Business Administration for a number of years. Her old high school classmates and their spouses gather at least once a year to renew friendships. Judy Doyle, Mike Fuller, Adele Smith, Nancy Egolf, Joy Greer, and Jackie Reynolds each had different careers, and several were retiring. At their last reunion, Jackie mentioned to Lucy that she was interested in doing something else after retiring from teaching. Adele overheard this conversation and said she was interested in trying something new as well. Could Lucy, with all her years of helping others get started in business, assist her friends? The next morning, while sitting on Todd and Joy’s balcony overlooking boats in a canal,
Lucy asked the entire group: “Jackie and Adele are interested in getting into some sort of business opportunity. Do any of you have thoughts on this?” Having spent a successful career in pharmaceutical sales, Mike said, “There are opportunities for services for senior citizens in terms of prescription drug management and administration.” Mike noted that many older people still in their homes or living in retirement centers had difficulty keeping track of filling their prescriptions and taking their medications on schedule. “It’s a real problem when people get to be 85 and over,” Mike said. “I see a growing need for a personal service that would provide this type of care.” Nancy and Judy talked about a unique coffee shop they had patronized. Not only was the staff knowledgeable about different types of coffee and helpful in guiding customers to sample different flavors, but the shop also sold a variety of coffee and tea makers and books on coffee and tea. However, what they really liked was the atmosphere. Instead of the placid and contemplative ambiance that most coffee shops offer, this shop featured different learning” exhibits where you could interact and discover something new. The topics changed weekly—local history, coffee making, art, music, and readings by authors. The two women were fascinated with the shop and had talked to the owner about franchising the concept so they could each start one in their hometowns in Pennsylvania and New York. The owner told them he had several successful franchises operating. The biggest challenge the prospective coffee shop owners would face initially would be finding a location that would attract the clientele who would embrace the product and atmosphere and return regularly. The owner obviously couldn’t help them make those decisions in their hometowns, so they would need help finding the best locations there.
Questions:
- What secondary data would be useful to identify who the target audience should be for this business?
- In considering either the prescription service or the coffee shop venture, what qualitative research techniques would you recommend that the prospective business owners use?
- Why would you recommend these qualitative techniques?
