Wisconsin Innovation Service Center

Informing client decisions with real data.

The Wisconsin Innovation Service Center (WISC) at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater drives business in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. Market research and analysis conducted by the center is used by our clients as they make key business and product development decisions.

We connect small businesses, entrepreneurs, and inventors with the resources of UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics, Wisconsin’s largest business school. Our student research analysts and digital marketing specialists, with the assistance of our faculty, provide expert consulting and customized projects, so clients can assess market feasibility, identify opportunities for diversification and growth, learn about customer characteristics and preference, better understand the competitive landscape, and chart a clear path for marketing success.

Are you starting a company? Do you already own one? Are you creating something new? The Wisconsin Innovation Service Center can help.

How WISC serves clients

Clients rely on WISC market research and analysis to understand their customers, market demand trends, and competition. Companies turn to WISC when they want to explore a new product idea, launch a new business, get more customers, increase sales, and gain a competitive advantage.

When it comes to B2B business decisions, nothing beats hearing directly from industry representatives, and WISC student market research analysts specialize in conducting interviews and reporting on the results. Want to know how target customers think about sourcing and supplier selection? WISC researchers will call and ask them. Market assessment research projects investigate the top market opportunities for companies. Diversification assessments look for new industries for company expansion and sustainability.

Wondering if there is a market for a new product or service idea? Need to assess the feasibility of your business concept before investing too much of your savings into it? WISC offers custom solutions to help you explore market opportunities before you put too much time or money into your idea. For consumer products and services, WISC will contact store representatives who know your target customers' preferences and interview them. WISC also conducts "look-alike" business interviews to help inform your new business launch by finding similar companies in similar communities far enough away that they are not your competitor, then calling to ask them key questions that you want answered.

WISC expertise comes from conducting more than 8,000 feasibility studies since the center was founded in 1980. Over the years, the market feasibility study research method has evolved to incorporate more in-depth interviews with representatives in a position to know about market demand and competition. WISC provides a unique service to inventors and entrepreneurs who need to make important decisions about what direction to take their new product, service, or business idea.

Director Russ Kashian oversees strategic research plan development and guides student researchers and analysts through each stage of the project. WISC specialists handle the market research for companies and inventors, so clients can keep doing what they do best. With a report in hand, clients find it much easier to make informed product and business development decisions.

Testimonials

WISC has extremely high rates of client satisfaction, both as a Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) sub-contractor and as a direct service provider. More than 75 percent of our clients are referred to us by former clients and professionals, including an increasing number of MEPs.

"It was really helpful to get a third-party perspective and insights our company could profit from."
- Tramont Corporation

"Despite the downturn in the economy, G&G Machine is targeting new customers and new industries for an additional 5% over the existing sales projections."
- G&G Machine | Read the G&G machine case study »

"The information was immediately usable, including 20 to 30 new contacts and future business opportunities I did not know existed. The time this report saved me along with the in-depth contact information was invaluable."
- Smartflow Technologies

"Entering a new market is expensive, and, although several new markets were appealing, we needed to target the most promising market. We used the WISC information to successfully expand into new medical market segments."
- HUI Manufacturing | Read the HUI case study »

"We turned to WISC to provide research to help us apply for a $750,000 SBIR grant for an e-learning program to educate rural healthcare providers … we quoted the WISC report directly in several instances, which helped us complete the successful application much more quickly than doing this type of research ourselves."
- Terra Nova Learning Systems

"I have found the market research services at WISC to be an invaluable resource for novice inventors, entrepreneurs, and seasoned professionals. Their staff are genuinely interested in and invested in the success of their clients. WISC is one of the top resources available to inventors and businesses seeking insights into the market."
- Louis Foreman, Founder and CEO of Enventys and CEO of Edison Nation

"The best source to help validate a product in our experience is the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center."
- Charlie Alter, Director | Edison Industrial Systems Center, Manufacturing Extension Center

"The research services WISC offers to small manufacturers are absolutely invaluable to them and to those of us who are trying to help them make critical business decisions. We've also appreciated your willingness to be flexible and to customize service to meet client needs in an even more focused way. Yours is a vitally important service."
- Anne Brown | Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center

Supporting entrepreneurial growth

The Whitewater University Innovation Center, a partnership of the City of Whitewater, the Whitewater Community Development Authority, and UW-Whitewater, was dedicated on May 5, 2011. More than 25 companies are members of the center, which provides workspace, coaching, and programming. Through a mentor program at the center, UW-Whitewater faculty offer free one-on-one consulting for clients.

Learn more about the Innovation Center

Customized market insight solutions

WISC offers a variety of strategic marketing research and action planning solutions for small businesses, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Through customized research and analysis projects, WISC provides insightful reports and action plans that inform business decisions. With WISC services, you will learn how to pursue the best opportunities for profitability and growth.

New Product Market Feasibility Studies

Get feedback on your product concept before making a large investment
Expert-built research tools get you data you can trust
Analysis and reporting by specialists in new product concept studies
Objective, third-party recommendations to validate or modify your assumptions
Base your development decisions on real-world feedback to save costs and time

Most projects are quoted based on custom research design. Costs range from $500 to $10,000 and up depending on the scope.

Learn more about WISC New Product Feasibility Studies below.

Digital Marketing Action Plans

Digital marketing demystified
Know more about customers and competition for informed action
Select top channels based on data
Sample tactics for PPC, social, SEM
Target metrics to evaluate success
Step-by-step implementation guide for quick results that drive sales

Strategic Market & Feasibility Analyses

Assess feasibility for startup company or new product ideas
Assess growth opportunities for established businesses
Competitive landscape data
Trends that could impact success
Evidence for level of market demand

Competitive Analysis

Develop more effective strategies based on competitive insights
Uncover competitor advantages
Carve out better opportunities through informed differentiation

B2B Market Assessments

Completely customized based on client’s information needs
Better understanding of current markets to increase market share
Market diversification insights to reduce vulnerability and grow faster
Understand supplier preferences and key decision drivers

Customer Surveys & VoC Insights

Answer key questions with data
Survey design and implementation
Time-limited customer surveys
Ongoing VoC data collection, analytics, and reporting

Packages

Target market deep dive

Optimize your marketing ROI by targeting the best customers with the right message.

$2,400 | 6 to 8 weeks

Contact us to set up a free consultation on your Target Market Deep Dive project.

New product market feasibility study

WISC new product market exploration gets you essential feedback on potential new products early on in the development process before you make a large investment.

$980 | 6 to 9 weeks (30 to 45 business days)

Get started by downloading the New Product Feasibility Study Request Form or contact us directly.

Sample Reports:
*Note: these are not based on real inventions, but they will give you an idea of what an actual WISC New Product Assessment report contains.

Warhawk Therapeutic Technologies [PDF] »
Automatic Playing Card Shuffler [PDF] »
Wander Away TattleTale [PDF] »

Market researches for B2B companies

WISC produces customized research for your B2B marketing decisions — find the best markets for your company to optimize growth and sustainability. A majority of our research is Custom Market Assessments, but we also offer Advanced Competitive Analysis services.

$2,800 to $3,600 | 10 to 16 weeks

Contact us for more information and to get started on a market assessment project for your company.

Licensing partner search

Partnering can be the key to profitable product and invention development. Licensing new products and technology involves sharing of knowledge and experience. WISC provides information to strategically target potential licensing partners.

$2,400 to $2,800 | 10 to 14 weeks

View a sample Licensing Partner Search report »

Contact us more information and to get started on a licensing partner search for your company.

Resources

Business assistance

Starting a business can be a challenging process. There are nationwide resources available for entrepreneurs who are looking for affordable assistance.

Small Business Development Center

Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), as part of a nationwide network, provide high-impact, results-based consulting and training services to business owners and entrepreneurs with up to 500 employees. In today's economic environment, SBDCs are forging ahead to partner with new, established, growing, and forward-thinking businesses as they navigate the waters of change. Through targeted training, clients learn how to launch businesses, stabilize established ventures and take their companies to the next level. Grants are available to assist with the cost of some training. Small business owners pay no fee to meet with SBDC consultants. In-depth projects such as facilitated innovation and matchmaking assistance for mergers and acquisitions are fee-based to cover costs.

To find a local SBDC, visit the Association of Small Business Development Centers to search by zip code.