Most Canadian small business owners assume market research is something only big companies can afford — surveys, focus groups, analysts, and reports.

In reality, independent businesses have access to some of the highest-quality market research available because they work directly with their customers every day.

In this episode of Made for Canada, small business marketing consultant Cheyanne O’Driscoll explains the difference between transactional marketing and relational marketing, and why relational marketing is a built-in advantage for independent and micro-businesses.

This conversation reframes market research as a practical, relational discipline — not a corporate exercise — and shows why understanding your market deeply is one of the first steps in building a clear annual marketing plan.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between transactional and relational marketing — and why relationship matters more than scale for small businesses

• Why independent businesses have more accurate market insight than large organizations

• Three practical ways to use real customer interactions as market research when planning your year ahead

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