How to Research the Market Before Launching a Product or Service Posted: 02 May 2019 05:00 PM PDT Conducting market research is crucial if you're planning on launching a new product or service. For starters, you'll need to learn about your likely customers, ensure there's demand for your product or service, and figure out how to appeal to consumers. Additionally, study your industry at large, and figure out how to stand out from the competition. Finally, since launching a product or service is a risky endeavor, try to anticipate challenges, and use your research to devise ways to tackle any problems that arise. EditResearching Your Target Customers - Gather demographic information about your consumer base. Learn about your likely audience's age, location, gender, income level, and other details. Gather data from reliable sources, such as government agencies, universities, industry organizations, and trade publications. For instance, you can find plenty of useful demographic information on your government's census website.[1]
- Demographic information can help you figure out who your consumer base is and how to appeal to them.
- If you want to open a coffee shop, for example, researching prospective locations' median income and foot traffic can help you choose the right spot for your business.
- Design surveys to learn about consumers' needs. Study how consumers buy products or services similar to your own and what factors go into their decision-making process. Keep your surveys short, simple, and straightforward. If possible, offer an incentive for completing the survey, such as a coupon for your product or service.[2]
- Good survey questions include "When choosing which product to buy, which is more important: price or quality," and "Rank the following list of product features in order of importance, where 1 is most important and 5 is least important."
- You can use an inexpensive survey hosting website to conduct the survey, hire a market research firm, or administer it yourself.
- If you choose to administer it yourself, you can post it on your social media pages. If you already operate an existing business, conduct the survey through its social media accounts and mailing lists.
- Find out what kind of messaging resonates with your audience. Investigate where and how you should advertise your product or service. You'll need to learn details like the websites your target customer browses and whether your marketing materials should appeal to logic or emotion. Either ask potential customers directly through surveys or look online for published market research.[3]
- Try searching online for university research studies and trade publications on marketing trends related to your product or service.
- Suppose you're a pet groomer and are launching a new boarding service. You'd want to place your ads at strategic spots like pet-related websites or a billboard that overlooks a dog park.
- Your ads also need to convince your audience that your product or service is worth their trust and money. To resonate with your consumer base, for instance, your pet boarding ads need to showcase expertise, reliability, and safe, clean facilities.
- Conduct focus groups and trials to refine your product or service. Recruit participants to test your product or service at a focus group or on a trial basis at their home. Have them offer feedback on their experiences, and use that information to make any necessary improvements.[4]
- Testing your product or service can help you prevent hiccups when you actually launch it. You can hire an outside party to conduct focus groups, or recruit participants through social media or your business's network, if you already operate one.
EditAnalyzing Your Industry - Research businesses competing for your target customers. Find out which other businesses sell products or services similar to your own. Figure out how saturated your market is and how many options consumers have at their disposal. Use that information to decide whether there's enough demand for you to enter the market.[5]
- For instance, if you're opening a hair salon and there are already 4 salons in a neighborhood, it may be hard for you to be competitive in that location.
- Investigate pricing and profit margins in your industry. Look into price ranges for products or services of comparable quality as your own. Accounting for parts, supplies, labor, and other costs, make sure you can price your product or service competitively and still make a profit.[6]
- For example, suppose you make jewelry and want to sell it online. If parts for a piece of jewelry cost $15, you spent 4 hours making it, and you set your hourly wage at $15, the item's price needs to be at least $75 ($15 times 4 hours is $60, plus $15 for parts).
- If similar products are significantly less expensive, you could find ways to make your parts cheaper, such as buying in bulk. You could also market your work as exceptional or unique (perhaps your jewelry is made of sea glass from the Amalfi coast), or settle for a lower wage or profit margin.
- Study your competitors' brands to differentiate your business. Review your competitors' branding, and look for ways you can stand out from the crowd. Establish who your business is, what promises you're making to consumers, and how you're different from other brands.[7]
- Suppose you want to open a brewery. To set your business apart, you could include a pub and bottle shop that sells a wide variety of beer and wine. While all the neighboring breweries just offer tours and tastings, you could market your brand as a destination that offers something consumers can't find elsewhere.
- A company's brand tells a consumer base who it is and what it offers. A branding strategy communicates that identity through marketing materials, from hashtags to billboards.
- Identify your industry's key performance indicators. You'll need measurable, objective standards in order to track your business's progress. These standards are called key performance indicators, and they vary by industry. Learn about how businesses in your industry measure their success by tracking factors such as unique website clicks, profit margins, cost of goods sold, and customer retention rates.[8]
- For example, a restaurant's beer, wine, and spirits cost should be about 20% of its beverage sales ($20 of product should generate $100 in sales). If your bistro's alcohol costs are 29%, you'll need to take steps to improve your performance, such as adjusting your pricing or conducting thorough inventory checks.
- Search online, check trade publications, or talk to an experienced business owner in your network about your industry's specific performance measurements.
EditAssessing Your Risk - Evaluate the reliability of your suppliers and distributors. Identify where you'll source any parts or supplies you'll need and how you'll deliver your product or service to consumers. Make sure you'll have a consistent supply chain, and try to anticipate any problems that could arise. Come up with back-up plans ahead of time in case you need to deal with unforeseen supply chain issues.[9]
- Suppose you're launching a new hot sauce and your recipe depends on a specific dried chili pepper. You'll need to know where to source that specialty product, where you can get it if your primary source falls through, how long it takes to order and receive it, the pepper's shelf life, and how you'll store back stock.
- Look up the laws and regulations related to your business. Inevitably, your business will need to comply with one regulation or another, so familiarize yourself with all laws that govern your industry. Additionally, use your research to create contingency plans in the event you run into a compliance issue.[10]
- For example, your hot sauce could get recalled due to faulty packaging, or your pub could fail a health inspection. Knowing packaging standards or health codes in advance can help you prevent issues and promptly resolve any accidents that happen along the way.
- Create a list of outside forces and events that could affect your industry. Thinking about what could go wrong isn't fun, but it's important to be realistic about risk. From weather and natural disasters to economic downturn, research the likelihood of forces beyond your control that could threaten your business. Do your best to create strategies to minimize your risk and respond to any outside threats.[11]
- For example, tense political conditions in the country where your hot sauce's chili peppers grow could threaten your production.
- Say your state's legislature has been debating a bill that would raise taxes on the product you're launching. Consider how that would affect your bottom line and whether you could afford to stay in business if it passed.
EditRelated wikiHows EditReferences Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
How to Remove Burn Marks on Wood Posted: 02 May 2019 09:00 AM PDT Pieces of wood around your home, shop, or garage can be inadvertently burned through regular wear and tear, whether it's furniture, paneling, a tabletop, or a wooden toy. While there's no way to repair a piece of wood that's completely turned to ash, you can get minor burn marks off of wood relatively easily. If you're working with a section of hardwood—e.g., flooring from ash, oak, or beech trees—your best bet will be to sand or scrape out the burned wood before patching the spot with epoxy. EditRepairing Surface Burns - Purchase fine steel wool to remove the burned surface. The steel wool method works best with small, shallow burns such as from cigarette ash. Visit a local hardware store and purchase the finest steel wool they sell. Steel wool with a ranking of 0000 (the finest) is ideal. If you can't find steel wool in a hardware store, check in a local home-improvement store.[1]
- Unlike sandpaper, lower numbers of steel wool are finer, but "fine" steel wools are marked with different numbers of zeroes. For example, 000 steel wool is "extra fine," and 00 is "fine."
- Dampen the piece of fine steel wool with mineral oil. Before setting the steel wool against the wood, pour about of mineral oil over the wool. This will lubricate the tendrils of the steel wool and prevent them from scratching the wood.[2]
- Purchase mineral oil at any hardware store or home-improvement store. If you don't have mineral oil on hand, you could use another non-drying oil like lemon oil.
- Scrub the dampened steel wool back and forth across the burn marks. Hold the steel wool in 1 hand, and rub it in a single direction on top of the burn mark in your hardwood. Rub along the grain of the wood, not across it (or you'll risk damaging the wood further). After 10-12 passes, you'll notice that the burn mark has lightened substantially.[3]
- Keep rubbing with the steel wool until the burn is gone.
- Blot the oily area dry with a damp clean cloth. Once the burn mark has been erased, pick up a clean scrap of cotton cloth and run a little tap water over it. You want the cloth to be lightly damp, so wring out as much water as you can. Don't rub back and forth across the wood, but lightly press the cloth down onto the oily surface to soak up the oil left behind by the steel wool.[4]
- If the cloth is too wet, you'll end up leaving a water stain on the wood.
- You shouldn't need to apply any kind of furniture polish when you're just dealing with a minor burn mark. In nearly all cases, the oil will be enough to seal the area.
EditFixing Deeper Burns - Scrape off deeper burn marks using the blade of a utility knife. The only way to remove burn marks deeper than about is to scrape out the burned wood itself. Take a utility knife and drag the edge of the blade over the burn to remove the damaged wood. Work in short strokes and make sure you're following along the wood grain, not cutting across it.[5]
- Purchase a utility knife (and spare blades if you like) at a hardware store. Some stationary or office-supply stores may also sell them.
- Smooth out the damaged area with fine-grained sandpaper. If the wood surrounding the burn wasn't damaged when you scraped out the burn, you should be able to even out the surface of the wood with sandpaper. Sand along the wood grain (not across it) using back and forth motions until the groove (where the burn used to be) has been smoothed out.[6]
- Local hardware stores will sell sandpaper. Choose fine sandpaper with a number around 360 or 400. (When working with sandpaper, higher numbers indicate finer grain.)
- Brush off the leftover wood shavings with a damp rag. When you've finished scraping away the burn mark and sanding the surface of the wood, you'll be left with a small pile of wood shavings. To remove them from the wood, dampen a rag and rub it along the surface of the wood to remove the shavings.[7]
- It's important that the rag you use is lightly damp. Otherwise, you'll just end up pushing the shavings around.
- Apply a layer of tung oil to the wood to restore its color. You can purchase tung oil at a paint-supply store or a home-improvement store. Dip a piece of clean cloth into the tung oil and rub it over the formerly burned section of wood. Work in strokes about long, and be sure to apply the oil along the wood grain, not across it. [8]
- Depending on the color of the wood you're repairing, you can also try using a linseed oil. The two oils are similar, and the only major difference is that linseed oil yellows over time.
- This will work to your advantage, though, if the wood you're repairing has yellow tones.
- Let the oil soak into the wood overnight. Since tung oil (and linseed oil) is nondrying, it will take several hours to absorb into the hardwood and harden in place fully. So, follow the directions provided on the tung oil's packaging regarding, as some tung-oil manufacturers may ask you to wipe off the oil rather than letting it soak into the wood.[9]
- If you're dealing with hardwood flooring and have kids or pets in your home, keep them away from the oily floor until it's dry.
- Fill the divot with wood epoxy until it's flush with the rest of the flooring. Wood epoxy contains a number of chemical components that should be mixed together following the manufacturer's instructions. Once the epoxy has reached a putty-like consistency, use a spackle knife to press the epoxy into the hardwood hole where the burn mark used to be.[10]
- Let the epoxy dry overnight, or for 6-8 hours. During this time, be sure to keep any wandering children or curious animals away from the epoxy.
- You should have no problem finding an assortment of wood epoxies at a local hardware store or home-improvement store.
- Sand the epoxy flush with the flooring using coarse sandpaper. A sheet of 80-grit sandpaper would work well for this step. Rub the sandpaper back and forth several times across the dried epoxy until you've smoothed it down to the same level as the surrounding flooring. Be careful to avoid sanding too much on the hardwood flooring itself. You don't want to scuff up the undamaged wood accidentally.[11]
- Once you're finished with the 80 grit, if you like, try sanding again with 120-grit sandpaper to ensure that the epoxy is smooth.
- Stain or paint the filled burn mark to match the color of your flooring. Use stain or paint based on whether the surrounding flooring has been painted or stained (in most cases, hardwood will need to be stained). Dip a paintbrush into the stain (or paint), and apply a smooth coat across the area you've repaired. Give the stain (or paint) at least 4-5 hours to dry, and apply a second layer if the new layer is darker than the rest of the flooring.[12]
- If you're unsure of the exact color of your flooring, you can test out sample paint or stain colors before using them. Test the material on a small, out-of-the-way corner of the flooring.
EditRemoving Burns on Dark Wood - Mix together a thick paste of baking soda and water. If you're dealing with a burn on a dark wood surface, the burn itself is most likely white in color. To remove the burn mark, combine about 1 tsp (0.3 g) of baking soda and of water in a small bowl. Use 1 finger (or a spoon if you prefer) to mix the 2 ingredients together until they form a thick paste.[13]
- Keep the consistency of the paste dry. If you add too much water to the mixture, you'll end up giving the wood surface a water stain!
- Buff the paste into the burn with a clean cloth. Scoop up a small dab of the thick baking soda paste with the corner of a scrap of clean cotton cloth. Rub the paste into the light-colored wood burn to gradually darken the color of the burn and eventually remove the burn mark altogether.[14]
- If a single dab of paste isn't enough to remove the burn mark, apply 2 or even 3 more dabs of the paste.
- Apply a furniture polish to the restored surface of the wood. Spray a commercial wood polish onto a second scrap of clean cloth. Then, rub the polish into the surface of the wood. This will remove the gritty baking-soda paste and help the restored patch match the rest of the wood. Wipe along the grain of the wood, and apply the polish in smooth strokes, each about long.[15]
- If you don't already have a furniture polish on hand, purchase some at a local hardware store.
EditThings You'll Need EditRepairing Shallow Burns in Hardwood - Stain-removal pad
- Mineral oil
- Steel wool
- Clean cloth
- Water
EditFixing Deeper Hardwood Burns - Utility knife
- Fine sandpaper
- Damp rag
- Clean cloth
- Tung oil
- Wood epoxy
- Spackle knife
- 80-grit sandpaper
- 120-grit sandpaper
- Paint or stain
- paintbrush
EditRemoving Burns on Dark Wood - Baking soda
- Water
- Bowl
- Cotton cloth
- Spoon
- Furniture polish
- Steel wools with ratings of, for example, 3 and 4 are considered "coarse" and "extra coarse," respectively.[16]
EditReferences Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
How to Clean Brass Jewelry Posted: 02 May 2019 01:00 AM PDT Brass jewelry can be elegant and beautiful, but it's prone to tarnishing and can be difficult to maintain. Though its surface can easily be scratched by abrasive cleaning methods, there are a number ways to clean brass jewelry without damaging it. If your older jewelry has a thin green-brown layer– known as a patina– you can refine and preserve its aged look with simple soap and water. You can also use lemon and salt to gently clean pieces with no patina. If your piece has green, bluish-green, or black discoloration, it's tarnished, and will need a deeper and more aggressive clean. For that, you can use household items like vinegar, ammonia, or even ketchup! EditUsing Soap and Water for a Gentle Clean - Mix a few drops of mild dish soap in warm water. It won't take much soapy water to clean your jewelry, so pour about of warm water into a cup or a bowl, then add 3-4 drops of mild dish soap. Gently stir the water to make sure the soap is mixed in evenly.[1]
- Soap and water are perfect for a gentle clean that will remove dirt and grime from brass without removing its patina, or the aged layer that develops on older pieces over time.
- Test the soapy water on an inconspicuous area to make sure it's safe. Although this is a very mild cleaning method, if you're trying to preserve the patina of a piece, it's always a good idea to do a quick test before you clean the whole item. Dip a cotton swab in or the corner of a cloth into the soapy water, then gently rub it onto a hidden piece of the jewelry, like the back of a pendant or near the clasp on a chain.[2]
- If the patina starts to come off or you're concerned the water will harm the brass item, you may want to consider having the piece cleaned professionally.
- Clean the piece with the soapy water and a soft cloth or toothbrush. If you were satisfied with your spot test, dip a microfiber cloth or a soft toothbrush into the soapy water, then use it to gently clean the surface of the jewelry in small, circular motions. You may need to go over the same spot more than once to get it as clean as you want, but avoid scrubbing too hard, as you could scratch the brass.[3]
- A toothbrush is best for an item with a lot of crevices, like an ornate pendant or ring, while a cloth is more gentle for jewelry with a lot of flat surfaces, like a cuff bracelet.
- For stubborn dirt, soak the jewelry for 2-3 minutes in the water before you clean it with the cloth.
- Be sure to choose a toothbrush that's only used for cleaning!
- Rinse the jewelry thoroughly, then dry it with a soft cloth. When you've finished cleaning the brass item, hold it under running water and use your fingers to remove any soapy residue from the surface of the piece. Then, rub the jewelry with a dry microfiber cloth or towel until it's completely dry.[4]
- Water can leave spots on brass, which is why it's important to dry it thoroughly.
EditCleaning Light Tarnish with Lemon and Salt - Cut a lemon in half. The acidity in a lemon is perfect for dissolving dirt and tarnish on brass, without being so abrasive that you'll damage the finish. Place the lemon on a cutting board, then carefully slice it in half lengthwise.[5]
- Cutting the lemon lengthwise will give you more surface area to work with, but it's fine if you cut it the other way.
- You may want to remove any visible seeds, although this isn't necessary.
- You can also use a lime, if that's what you have on hand.
- Dip one of the cut sides of the lemon in salt. Pour a thin layer of salt onto a small plate or saucer. Then, press the cut side of one of your lemon halves into the salt.[6]
- The salt will stick to the lemon, coating the cut side completely.
- Rub the salt and lemon over the surface of the brass until it shines. Hold your brass jewelry in one hand, or lay it on a flat surface and use your hand to hold it steady. Then, rub the lemon and salt all over your brass jewelry. The combination of the acidic lemon and the abrasive salt should quickly loosen and remove dirt and tarnish from the jewelry.[7]
- Keep doing this until the jewelry shines.
- You may need to dip the lemon in the salt again, especially if it's a large piece.
- Use a toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach places. For smaller pieces with a lot of detail, squeeze out a little of the lemon juice into the pile of salt and mix it until it forms a paste. Then, dip a soft toothbrush into the paste and apply it to the jewelry. Scrub gently until it's clean.
- Rinse the jewelry and dry it thoroughly. Once you're happy with how your jewelry looks, rinse it well under running water. Then, rub it vigorously with a soft, dry cloth to make sure it's completely dry. If you leave any water on the jewelry, it could leave spots.[8]
- Make sure to completely wash away any lemon juice; otherwise, it could etch the surface of your jewelry.
EditCleaning Built-Up Tarnish and Grime - Make a salt, flour, and vinegar paste for an all-natural deep clean. Mix of white vinegar with 1 tsp (6 g) of salt and stir until the salt is dissolved. Then, add about 2 tbsp (30 g) of flour, or enough to make a thick paste. Rub the paste onto the jewelry and let it dry for about 10 minutes, then rinse and dry the item thoroughly.[9]
- This is a gentle way to remove built-up tarnish and stubborn grime.
- Try ketchup for a unique way to shine your brass jewelry. The acidic blend of tomatoes and vinegar in ketchup makes it a great brass cleaner. Just squirt a little ketchup onto a soft cloth or brush, then rub it gently into the surface of the jewelry. If the piece is badly tarnished, you may need to leave the ketchup in place for 3-5 minutes, but you should be able to see it working right away. Rinse the ketchup away with warm water and dry the jewelry thoroughly with a soft cloth.[10]
- Opt for non-gel toothpaste for occasional cleaning. Coat the jewelry in a thin layer of plain white toothpaste and leave it on for about 5 minutes. Then, polish the jewelry with a clean, soft cloth to remove stubborn dirt and grime. Once it looks shiny and bright, rinse the brass completely under running water, then dry it with a separate soft cloth.[11]
- Toothpaste is mildly abrasive, which is why it gets the brass so clean. However, you should only use this technique for occasional cleaning, as it can scratch the surface of the brass over time.
- Use ammonia for a quick clean if you don't mind the fumes. Working in an area with plenty of fresh air, mix 1 part ammonia with 8 parts in a plastic or glass container. Soak the jewelry in the mixture for several minutes, then carefully remove it once it looks shiny and clean. Use a cloth to wipe away any tarnish, then rinse and dry the jewelry thoroughly.[12]
- For example, if you're only cleaning a small piece of jewelry, like a brass ring, small brooch, or pendant necklace, you might mix of ammonia with of water. Increase the amounts for larger jewelry, like chunky bracelets or necklaces.
- Ammonia can be dangerous, so take the proper precautions! Make sure to wear gloves and goggles and work in a well-ventilated area, and never mix ammonia and bleach, as the fumes can be deadly.
- If the piece is lacquered, or it appears to have a thin, shiny layer, it should not be cleaned the same way as regular brass. Instead, just wipe it down with a soft, damp cloth, then dry it with a separate cloth. If that doesn't work, take it to a professional for cleaning.
- Always dry your brass thoroughly, or you can end up with water spots.
- Rub olive oil on a finished piece to help prevent tarnish.[13]
- If your jewelry has gemstones or other decorative pieces, make sure to only apply your cleaning solution to the brass. Stones can be damaged by acidic cleaning methods.
- If you're working with ammonia, wear goggles and gloves to protect yourself in case it splashes, and work in a well-ventilated area.
- NEVER mix ammonia with other cleaning products, as it could produce dangerous fumes.
EditThings You'll Need EditUsing Soap and Water for a Gentle Clean - Cup or bowl
- Warm water
- Mild dish soap
- Spoon
- Cotton swab
- Microfiber cloth or soft toothbrush
- Dry cloth
EditCleaning Light Tarnish with Lemon and Salt - Lemon
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Plate
- Salt
- Water
- Dry cloth
- Toothbrush (optional)
EditCleaning Built-Up Tarnish and Grime - Soft, dry cloth
- Water
- white vinegar (optional)
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt (optional)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) flour (optional)
- Ketchup (optional)
- Non-gel toothpaste (optional)
- Ammonia (optional)
- Glass or plastic container (optional)
- Goggles and gloves (optional)
EditReferences Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
No comments:
Post a Comment