Every marketing plan should begin with solid up-to-date research. Marketeers must learn everything they can about their industry, their specific marketplace, their competitors and most importantly, their customers, in order to make the right marketing decisions. There are numerous information resources that can be tapped into, and many times it is free.

A generic list of resources would include:

• Public & private libraries
• World Wide Web
• Trade associations
• Trade publications
• Government agencies
• Non-profit organizations
• Colleges & universities
• Other organizations in the chosen industry
• Current and past customers
• Competitors
• Research organizations