5totife crc rtr t vitrr p r ojjvcm 7jrtir wednesday november 9 1983 mbs balance sheet market research can be crucial step by john kane v can small businesses need market re search a lot of people dont think so market research is an activity that most of us associate with larger companies big corporations spend a lot of money on m baequipped marketing managers sophisticated surveying and sampling techniques and coordinated product launch strategies for a small business whose resources may already be stretched thin that kind of expenditure can seem out of the question on the other hand however market research is a good deal more than corpo rate razzledazzle on a far more basic level market research function is a companys eyes and ears by providing information on the en vironment in which the business func tions market research allows the busi ness owner to plan and make decisions for the future in effect its a vital man agement tool that no small business can afford to be without if anything market research is more important than ever in our current busi ness environment todays marketplace is characterized by change and disrup tion shifting demographics new lifes tyles and modes of behavior and adjust ments to the external shocks of inflation unemployment and energy problems are only a few of the variables compli cating the picture to survive in this kind of environment a business owner to keep tabs on change and thus to devise strategies for coping with it doing business the idea of market research stems from the marketing concept of doing business according to the marketing concept all of a companys operations must be directed towards the single goal of satisfying the customer thus the needs and desires of the cus tomer will determine a firms overall business strategy as well as all the ac tions of its individual parts produc tion sales advertising promotion and so on market research then becomes the motivator of the whole process of run ning a business it reveals what the customer wants and allows manage ment to work towards satisfying these desires while the marketing concept appears to be a fairly simple idea and while it has proven to be very successful it has not been widely used by small business ownermanagers too often the better mousetrap phi losophy is the driving force behind a small firm the business innovates and develops new products merely for the sake of doing so rather than in response to an expressed marketplace need the net results of this kind of manage ment by gut feel are at best mixed when an ownermanagers intuition is correct his innovation will meet the needs of the marketplace and be suc cessful if hes wrong however the new product will fail whatever its intrinsic merits may be time honored similarly an ownermanagers intui tion may tell him to leave a successful product alone and not to change time- honored ways of producing promoting or distributing it nevertheless market needs do change with time and business must re spond or perish strategies that worked in the past often need updating and refin ing to be successful in the everchanging markets of the present intuition alone isnt enough any more market information has become an essential ingredient in all business deci sions and in todays changing world the usefulness of market research as a plan ning tool is increasing all the time obviously the most important time to use market research is when you are making a major business decision at startup for instance you need market information xo determine if your busi ness idea is feasible market research will also assist you in deciding where to locate your business and how to advertise it similarly mar ket research can help you determine if the exciting new product or service you are thinking of adding to your line will really set the world on fire or will end up costing you more than it brings in strategically market research can be used strategi cally as an aid to planning for the future by taking a close look at your market data for instance you can uncover trends in the population of your trading area that might affect the future of your business for example if market data shows a high rate of new household formation in your area you could gear your efforts towards serving the needs of those new households thereby increasing your fu ture profitability likewise you can use market in formation to uncover hidden consumer needs and unfilled demands that point the way to new business opportunities market research can also provide feedback on a firms operations thereby allowing the ownermanager to evaluate how well his business is doing by look ing at your company from your custom ers point of view you can determine the effect that your policy decisions are hav ing on their buying choices are your products priced right are you getting the most out of your advertising media by providing answers to questions like these market research can show what you are doing right and wrong decision making finally market research improves your decisionmaking by forcing you to concentrate on the problem at hand all too often ownermanagers confuse their companies problems with symptoms a fallingoff in sales for example is only a symptom of a deeper problem which may involve such factors as in creased competition obsolete products or staff that arent performing well by studying market information you can discover the real problem behind a symptom and can then focus your efforts on finding a solution and if market re search is performed on an ongoing basis problems can come to light before they begin to affect the performance of your business a time when you can take corrective action more easily market research is important learn ing to use it effectively can give your business a big edge in todays competi tive economy editors note john kane ca is a resident of markham and a partner in the toronto office of thome riddell chartered accountants fiiiae stouffville bargain 2 storey 3 bedroom home quiet court large yard fenced patio finished rec room with airtight stove just listed asking 87900 stouffville north winterized 2 bedroom home huge lot hedge mature trees good well sep tic priced at only 59000 6405552 6401157 q safeguard lvj real estate united realtor i isrftrvjm f blueprint 4 happiness a unionville spotless beauty 4 bed room main floor family roomfire- place central air many extras michael grosso 8861200 a- town of whitchurch stouffville public meeting concerning a proposed off1cianplan amendment notice of meeting take notice thai die council of the corpora tion of the town of whitchurchstouffviue will hold a public meeting on tuesday decem ber 13ti1 1983 at 800 pm in the council chambers of the municipal building located at 19 civic avenue stouffville ontario to make avail able adequate information to the public regarding and to consider a proposed official plan amend ment to be passed pursuant to section 17 of the planning act subject property the subject lot compnsing approximately 22 hec tares s4 acres is located at the southwest comer of the intersection of highway no 48 and cheny street the subject area being the cedar valley special study area consists of all lands located within lois 26 to 32 concessions 6 and 7 the area is bounded by the sixth concession road on the west the 32nd33rd lot line on the north high way no 48 on the east and the st johns sideroad on the south explanatory note the proposed amendment would change the land use designation on the subject lot w hich is present ly rural residential 2 hectares in order to permit a severance and creation of a new lot by dividing the subject lot in half in addition the proposed amendment will establish general policies for the subject area to permit further severances in similar situations representation any person may attend the public meeting and make written or oral representation either in sup port of or in opposition to the proposed official plan amendment if ou are unable to attend writ ten submissions will be received up to the lime of the meeting information additional information relating to the proposed amendment is available for inspection at this office dunng regular business hours 830 a m to 430 pm if you have any questions please contact the planning department at this office dated at the town of whitchurch- stouffville this 9th day of november 1983 patricia g mmr clerk town of whitchurchstouffville 19 civic avenue box 419 stouffville ontario loh 1l0 telephone 640- 1900 or 8952423 rhgbk- l wcxsori mr larke of bradford right was the proud winner of the peter l mason ltd realtor lucky draw at the markham home show mr larke is in the marketing department with ckan radio station the beta video recorder was presented to mr larke in his office by mr ossie tancock sales representative of peter l mason ltd realtor over 3000 of the visitors who came to the booth entered the lucky draw forced to sell in ashburn lovely country home barn pond and creek 12 acres on paved road 2700 sq ft excluding basement completely rebuilt in 1982 cost 85000 house features hunt windows oak kitchen 3 bathrooms main floor family and laundry room central vacuum luxurious car pet and many more extras 1 1 1st mortgage must be seen to be appreciated a sacrifice for 179900 no reasonable offer refused ven dor bought firm north west of whitby realty centre inc realtor c becz 16554138 or 2265500 l andrews village expensive rents for retailers becomes a thing of the past with the introduction of this unique marketing concept the first of its kind in canada st andrews village a 40 unit condominium complex combines the convenience and technology necessary for todays standards of marketing with the charm and character of an old cnglish village located in the heart of southern ontarios most affluent trading area on yonge st in aurora st andrews provides the public through us unique selection of shops and services with a most memorable shopping experience entrepreneurs can pride themselves trial their investment is in their own and a fs financing ch unit offers 1000 sq ft retail space 1000 sqft residential 1000 sq ft iull 8 basement from 14300000 for information contact york group realty inc 2 orchard heights blvd st andrews village unit 40 aurora ontario l4g 3w3 727i94i 7736i63 an investment in time northwest corner of hwys 48 447 stouffville 64011200 the good will of those we serve is the foundation of our success for the active family close to the arena and park this 3 bedroom brick and aluminum sides- pi it has ample room for the family on the go large eatin kitchen with walk out boast new oak cupboards and ceramic tile counter top the rec room plus 2nd large room for pool room den or whatever give this home a feeling of space all this on a 120 lot and is just listed at 92900 vikki ledez acre uxbridge 3 bedroom brick and aluminum sidesplit beautiful rec room with bar brick fireplace 1 a car garage fenced lot minutes from town asking 95900 call barbara sproule country 1 acre well constructed 3 bedroom brick bungalow with lots of cupboards in country style kitchen huge living room with brick fireplace rec room has stone fireplace plus walkout and adjacent bath make this ideal for possible inlaw apartment separate garage and small barn with fenced paddock located minutes to town listed at 118700 vikki ledez under construction 5 bedroom 2 storey on 10 acres close to uxbridge features master bed room with a 4 piece ensuite and walk- in closet kitchen with walkout main floor family room with fireplace main floor laundry hudac warranty see it today for personal color choices asking 139900- ross gallo country home spotless 3 bedroom bungalow on a acre country lot with mature trees at front spacious living room bright kitchen double car garage priced to sell at 86500 call alan elson home on 10 acres magnificent country home nestled among 10 acres of hardwood bush and evergreens for maximum priva cy circular drive with sunken garden and antique lamp post living room with wall to wall fieldstone fireplace and beamed ceiling florida room with 2 walkouts den with stone fire place and walkout rec room this property is a must to see listed at only 174900 bill burd 100 acres located north east of uxbridge mostly all workable with good build ings the home is 1 storey alumi num siding 3 bedrooms study living room with fireplace and walkout bright kitchen laundry room large barn and drive shed listed below appraised value 179000 ross gallo we havemany other prop erties give us a call toronto line 6401200 uxbridge pickering ajax 6492266 ftoronto direct 6404181 mt albert 4733600 realtor 1 1 4 main street west stouffville ontario loh 1 lo s0mm mm commumty mtce 1156 country suburban ballantrae large one owner 2 storey tastefully appointed 4 bedrooms main floor family room and laundry walkouts to patio and private a acre pie shaped lot quiet culdesac near 404 access owner has bought priced for action at 144900 jeannine sheridan 640- 4151 or 18526959 11 acres pond gorgeous homesite with hydro in stalled located on well maintained road 5 acres clear 30 ft deep spring fed pond 36000 susan jenkins 6404151 horse farm profitable business located in the ux bridge hills 25 stalls new indoor riding arena all steel construction 50 scenic acres 300000 susan jenk ins 6404151 commercial operation 3 bay auto repair garage in uxbridge now leased living quarters upstairs needs work gas tanks in ground no pumps 162500 with terms jim wood 6404151 dont waste time 86600 better call me now 3 bed room bungalow in town close to schools and stores marty valleau 6404151 5su magnificent setting uxbridge south large contemporary home with de luxe features including guest wing on maids apartment 4 bedrooms plus library walkouts decks gourmet kitchen nestled on 10 wooded acres in area of fine homes asking 215000 jeannine sheridan 640- 4151 or 18526959 4 bedroom sidesplit spacious living dining room kitchen and family room have walkouts to inground pool rec room games room 4 baths immaculate marty valleau 6404151 just listed stouffville spacious living room separate din ing 3 bedrooms 2 baths large family room with fireplace detached gar age private 60 x 1 45 lot 81 900 col leen brown 6404151 vendor anxious 64900 plenty of room for children on this a acre lot just east of stouffville 3 bed room va storey features gas heat eatin kitchen 1 a car garage toron to phone line and much more try an offer colleen brown 6404151