How to perform research for ideal customer as a new business with no customers & no team

[CWatts91]

So I am beginning a brand new company, actually I'm a new business owner, and i am looking for advice on how to do research and analysis for my ideal customer. I do know that I've got to know what im offering and to what industry before i can do any type of research. However, all i can find on hubspot is using the customers that you already have to create your buyer persona. Unfortunately i have no customers. Thanks for any helpful advice that may be given. 

[PamCotton]

Hey @CWatts91, Happy Friday!

Before embarking on customer research, it's essential to have a solid grasp of your business offerings and the unique value they bring to potential customers. This forms the bedrock for your customer analysis. Define the industry or industries your business serves and pinpoint your target market segment. 

Take into account demographics, psychographics, geographic location, and the specific needs or pain points that your product or service resolves.

I want to invite our top experts to this conversation @TomM2, @Jnix284 any recommendations for @CWatts91?

Thank you,

Pam

[Jnix284]

@CWatts91 congratulations on starting your new business.

I remember the first time I onboarded with HubSpot marketing tools and the specialist kept telling me how important it was to define our buyer personas, and every time I read about how to do that, it meant a huge amount of research, focus groups, etc.

It felt like a barrier to entry because everything was supposed to tie back to a persona.

The good news is that if you have a clearly defined target audience and ideal customer profile, your persona's don't have to be perfect and it's ok to make assumptions - or wait to create them until you have more data down the road.

You didn't specifically say B2B, since youmentioned industry I'm assuming that might be the case. If so, I would focus your efforts on defining your target audience, what industry, company size, etc. and if you have a pro subscription, you can start with target accounts instead of personas.

Happy to help further if you have specific questions or would like some additional resources.