Product

At the heart of a good small business is an appealing product or service. Not only must any offering be visually or aesthetically pleasing in the way it is labeled, it crucially must also fulfill a need or want for the customer, with a satisfactory level of quality. If these aspects come together, it is much easier to build a strong brand, and market that accordingly through promotion. The following resources may assist those researching what attracts customers to a product or service, and how to make it best meet their wants or needs.

Tips

Starting points:

Consider and research customer needs and desires, and tailor your product accordingly. Research concepts like ‘design thinking’ and ‘customer-centric design’, that may help you in creating and modifying products to best serve customer needs.
Understand what is most appealing about your offering to customers, and ensure that this is incorporated into labeling and signage.
Consider developing iconography (logos and aesthetic features) for your product, and keeping them consistent across labeling and advertising.

Suggested strategies:

Use online search engines to see whether your product or service has competition, and to help ascertain what your competitive advantages are.
If you are creating a new product that may be similar to others, ensure you’re not infringing patent rights by searching the United States Patent and Trademark Office databases.

Select Resources

The following materials link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are provided when available.

Strategic Design Thinking: Innovation in Products, Services, Experiences and Beyond by Natalie W. Nixon (Editor)
Call Number: HD53 .S757 2016
ISBN: 9781628924701
Published/Created: 2016
If you’re looking to create or enhance an innovative product or service to best meet customer needs, then design thinking is for you. This title focusses on how using process instead of solution, and on connecting disparate ideas instead of getting bogged down by silos of specialization can lead to better outcomes for your business.
Branding Basics for Small Business by Maria Ross
Call Number: HD69.B7 R825 2010
ISBN: 9781935254249
Published/Created: 2010
‘Brand is more than just a pretty logo: it is your core promise, personality, and reason for being’ according to this highly readable title. Bringing together many aspects of good marketing practice, this book provides clear instructions and examples of how to create a product with a strong brand, regardless of budget.
The Marketing Plan Handbook by Robert W. Bly
Call Number: HF5415.13 .B559 2015
ISBN: 9781599185590
Published/Created: 2015
The first few chapters of this book provide easy to understand instructions on how find a business ‘niche’, and develop an understanding of customers and their needs, all of which will lead to stronger business performance.
Different Thinking by Peter Kreuz; Anja Foerster
Call Number: HD53 .F665 2009
ISBN: 9780749453909
Published/Created: 2009-06-01
This title explores how businesses can operate in ‘unconventional’ ways. Try chapter 3 if you’re looking for different ideas and methods for creating interesting products and offerings.

The subscription resources below marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

Statista External This link opens in a new window
Need statistics or forecasts for the industry your business is operating in? Statista has detailed past statistics and future forecasts for a wide range of industries, to help you make more informed decisions for your business.

These are freely available online sources provided by government agencies, trade publications, and organizations.

6 Ways to Build a Customer-Centric Culture (Harvard Business Review) External
If you are providing any form of customer service as a business, then you should consider it as part of your product offering to customers. This article from the well-regarded publication the Harvard Business Review gives a brief overview on how to make your service as customer-centric as possible.
United States Patent and Trademark Office: Search for Patents
A series of databases covering patents registered in the United States. Useful for researchers interested in previous product advances, and businesses looking to ensure their new product doesn’t infringe on other patents.

The following guides were created by the Library of Congress to give an in-depth list of resources on a specific topic.

Doing Industry Research
This guide is designed as a starting point for those looking for current information on industries. In addition, some historical sources are also included.
Creative Ability in Business: A Guide to Selected Resources
This guide provides a variety of resources in support of research on the topic of creative thinking and ability in business along with some practical tips for individuals and companies to improve creativity.

Small Business Hub: A Research Guide for Entrepreneurs

Product

Tips

Starting points:

Suggested strategies:

Select Resources