Target audience of an entrepreneurial project and analysis of the methods of its determination as part of the project activities

The correct and detailed definition of the target audience contributes to the success of the business project. Despite the fact that today they distinguish innovative entrepreneurial projects separately, calling them start-ups, competition in the market requires that they be innovative a priori. Considering that the life span of such projects in Russia is an average of three years, it is advisable to collect data on the potential client before launching it. Meanwhile, according to statistics, 35-42 % of failures in the implementation of innovative entrepreneurial projects are due to the reasons associated with the incorrect definition of the target audience. In this regard, the article presents the rationale for the importance of knowing the potential addressee of an entrepreneurial project, considers ways of determining the target audience, gives a brief description of them as part of the project activities according to three criteria: the purpose of the toolkit, the complexity of the analysis and the method of obtaining the information used. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that without a preliminary assessment of the demand for the proposed product from the addressable consumer, entering the market with any business project is inexpedient because of the high risks.