GCSE Business Studies (GCSE Bus & Econ)

1.1 Spotting a Business Opportunity

The key to success in identifying a new business opportunity is careful research and analysis of a local or national market. This enables a business to gain insight into its marketplace (both customers and competitors) and focus on identifying a competitive advantage or opportunity.

Learning outcomes for this unit:

  1. Be able to list different customer needs
  2. Know the different ways that a small business can collect primary data
  3. Know the different ways that a small business can collect secondary data
  4. Be able to explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative data
  5. Be able to explain the importance for a small business of having good market knowledge
  6. Be able to construct and interpret a market map for different markets
  7. Understand the purpose of market mapping for small businesses
  8. Be able to identify how and why businesses might segment a market
  9. Be able to analyse competitor strengths and weaknesses for particular businesses
  10. Understand the meaning of the term ‘added value’
  11. Be able to explain the importance of adding value to business survival and success
  12. Know the main sources of added value
  13. Know the key features of and differences between sole traders, partnerships and franchises
  14. Be able to identify factors which make a location more or less suitable for business start-ups

How businesses work

Draw a diagram below which summarises the basic processes in any business:

Write a brief explanation of what this diagram is showing:

Meeting customer needs

Any business which is going to be successful needs to sell their product or service to their customers. Most businesses have competitors in their market. A market exists in any situation where buyers and sellers exchange money for goods and services.

A business needs to have a good understanding of their market so that they can sell a product which is better at meeting customer needs than other competitor products. Customers will choose the product or service which suits their needs best.

Fill in the table below to show what needs each of the customers might have:

Situation / Possible need (try to give a clear reason)
You are running late for school and need to get some breakfast. You stop at a cafe to order a sandwich
Sally would like a new top for a night out this weekend but it is the end of the month and she has spent nearly all of her earnings
Your friend is trying to buy a present for her aunt’s birthday, but she isn’t sure what to get for her
Fill in another situation here...

Market research

Business can carry out different types of research into the features of their chosen market. This can be primary research or secondary research.

Sort the following methods of market research into primary and secondary research methods. If you complete the exercise, check with a peer and then add two more methods to the table:

Primary / Method / Secondary
 / Interview
Questionnaire
Focus group
Government statistics
or a telephone directory
Observation
Market research report
Conducting experiments
A telephone directory
Reading newspaper articles

Stretch and challenge:

Write a question that would suit these multiple choice answers (circle the correct answer)

APrimary researchCQuantitative research

BQualitative researchDCustomer needs

Market mapping

Sellers need to have a good understanding of their customers in order to be successful. One way to improve this understanding is to analyse their market and identify specific market segments. They can then decide which segment (s) to target.

One strategy for analysing a market is calledmarket mapping. This is a technique which involves creating a diagram which represents the market, based on two characteristics of the market, for example:

Competitor businesses are placed on this ‘map’, which allows the analyst to see where there may be gaps in the market. A market map can help in deciding which market segment to target with a particular product or service.

In this box, write or draw some additional key information about market mapping that you feel is important (key terms: segment, viable, gap in the market, distinct, targetable)

Analysing competitor strengths and weaknesses

Most businesses will face competition in their market. As you have already learned, customers will choose the business which best suits their needs. In order to make sure that it has competitive advantage a business needs to differentiate itself from these competitors. Since every business will have strengths and weaknesses, a person running a business needs to understand their own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of their competitors.

Complete the following paragraph:

It is important for a person planning a business to analyse their competitors because...

Adding value

Fill in the diagram below to show the different ways that a business can add value to its products or services. If you have time, add extra ‘branches’ to the diagram to include more information on each way.

Franchises

Complete the table below to summarise the benefits and drawbacks of franchising:

To the franchisee / To the franchisor
Benefits
Drawbacks

Identifying a suitable start-up location

Unit 1.1: Spotting a Business Opportunity

Revision checklist

Key terms / Definition
Market
Customer needs
Market research
Primary research
Secondary research
Qualitative data
Quantitative data
Focus group
Market map
Market segment
Gap in the market
Market map
Competitor
Product range
Brand
Brand image
Added value
USP
Franchise
Franchisee
Franchisor
Infrastructure
footfall
Competitive advantage

Test your understanding:

Factor / What? / Why? / How?
Primary research
Secondary research
Quantitative data
Qualitative
data
Market mapping
Added
value
Franchise

Make sure you know:

Four ways of collecting primary data / 1.
2.
3.
4.
Four ways of collecting secondary data / 1.
2.
3.
4.
The difference between primary and secondary data
Why businesses need to have a solid understanding of their market
Three different factors that could go on the axes of a market map / 1.
2.
3.
Six factors which could be used to segment a market / 1. 4.
2. 5.
3. 6.
4 ways that businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors in order to gain competitive advantage / 1.
2.
3.
4.
Why it is vital to add value to the product or service that you are selling
4 ways to add value to a product or service / 1. 3.
2. 4.
The difference between a franchisor and a franchisee / A franchisor is...
But a franchisee is...
2 advantages of using franchising to start a new business / 1.
2.
2 disadvantages of using franchising to start a new business / 1.
2.