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COM 370 + 360: Storytelling & the Entrepreneur: Audience Research

Resources for Professor Gill's 'Storytelling & the Entrepreneur' in the US course

Getting Started

As an entrepreneur, when you're researching your audience, keep in mind many of the best resources for doing so.

The best way to start is to do a general background search on your audience type and your business type or your audience type and your location in Google or one of the following suggested databases:

Customers

Customers may be considering a long-term relationship with your business. They are most likely concerned with your relations with other customers & suppliers. Keep the information you give them short & concise.

Investors (Venture Capital, Angel's & Bankers)

They may all be investors, but they all have different concerns about you and your business.

  • VC's may see 100+ business plans a month, so a fast (but right) impression is crucial. They are mainly concerned with your management team, your concept and your potential returns.
  • An angel investor on the other hand is a more informal investor when compared to a VC or a traditional bank, so keep your pitch brief. 
  • A traditional bank is concerned with your financial strength, so balance sheets and cash flow projections are crucial. 

Managers & Employees

Managers are mostly concerned with your business objectives so that they can monitor your company's performance and market conditions. They seek your:

  • mission & vision statements
  • relative industry analyzes & economic factors 
  • financial measures you can provide that they can use to monitor sales, profit, etc. 

Suppliers

Suppliers are concerned with making sure you can pay your bills, so cash flow, financial information, and growth prospects are their main concern. You can use the same resources that are listed for managers above to find relevant information for suppliers.

Strategic Allies

Strategic allies have specific needs and/or interests. For example they may be interested in offering you technology, distribution, complementary product sets, etc. You must show them aspects of your business that are relevant to their interests. Keep in mind that strategic allies may be competitors, so be strategic about what information you provide and when you provide it. 

 

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