Once you have collected at least twenty-five to thirty-five surveys from a variety of people (not just your family and close friends), start another spreadsheet. Summarize the most important qualities your respondents sought in a caterer. What were the top two most important attributes? What were the majority of respondents willing to pay for a caterer?

How did the respondents feel about your concept? Did they seem to understand it? Were they open to it? Analyze the data. You might learn something you didn't anticipate that will help you modify your concept. If you think you have to change your concept, develop a follow-up survey and ask another group of people to fill it out.

Focus Groups Once you have developed your concept and position, you should conduct a focus group to see how potential customers react to it. Focus groups are unscientific, but they are good for providing feedback. Focus groups are a form of qualitative, or directional, research, where an objective moderator leads a discussion of a small group of potential customers or buyers.

If you have examples of your menus and photographs of some of your signature dishes, have the moderator show these items to the group to get their feedback on the concept.

Listening to feedback on your ideas won't always be easy, but it should be interesting. You can glean valuable insights from listening to others discuss your concept. The group may have worthwhile suggestions. Analyze the feedback from the focus group as you did the written surveys. Determine whether your concept needs to be revised, and schedule another focus group if your plan needs a major overhaul. If you received positive feedback from your focus group with suggestions for minor changes, you are ready to move into the development phase.