What do i look for when doing market research?

So i have an idea for a new business and i need to do a bit of market research.

What should i look for?

Its a service for small business, would business owners really have the time to help me out with surveys and questions?

the business has to do with sending parcels and using couriers. Kinda like an agent service offering easy comparisons and quotes of services

Depends on what you want to know. Generally people are willing to tell you about what they already purchase or do, and get impatient with doing all your homework for you. Ask about what they're already doing with the service if it's currently offered by anyone else. Then ask for one or two things they might improve.

If you were starting a courier service, you'd want to know how long it typically takes from phone call to the dispatcher and the courier picking up the package, whether that's satisfactory, and how much they charge. Maybe they might like an after-hours option and weekends.

If you were doing building maintenance/janitorial work, then you'd ask if they have time to do it themselves, would they want someone to come in for two hours on the weekends and do the floors and windows, etc.

Market research is about finding little holes to plug. Keep it short, and try a few methods -- first over the phone, but if they don't have time offer to fax the survey. Mail it with a postage-paid return envelope as a last resort. If you want quality answers you need to make it really easy for them to participate. The good news is that small business owners tend to look out for each other, so if you tell them what you're trying to do, most will be happy to help out.

You really could have given us more info on the type of biz to give more info to you.

But Id say have in mind-generally-:

pros & cons

likes & dislikes

any improvements