Well, I think it is also important to research on following marketing factors when you plan to start up a business.
1. Who is the competition and what market share do they hold?
2. What is our marketing strategy? Our marketing objectives?
3. What buyer problems does our product/service solve?
4. What marketing decisions have been made about the internal marketing elements (product, price, promotion and distribution)?
5. What external environmental factors are influencing the marketing of our product/service?
Though all points are important including point of Brian, I think point no. 3 is most important. If you come up with a product/service focused on customers need and implement technical advancement as to solve the problem of your mainstream customers, that is going to be the real reward for you in market place.
