Launching a new startup can be one of the most exciting times in your professional life. It can be so exciting that you might be tempted to rush things along. But making sure that you take the right approach can often time save you energy, money, and time. One of the most important activities before launching is developing a startup marketing plan.

There are a variety of formats you can use in doing this. For example, shortened versions like are seen inside a Business Model Canvas can be helpful in establishing the basics of your startup marketing. But at some point, a brief startup marketing plan is not enough. To develop a deeper approach you are going to need to perform a lot of market research.

Well thought out market research helps ensure that you understand the industry you are entering, its growth rate, the competition, and more.