It really depends on the type of business you are setting up & who your end user will be.
Start with having some of structured, open ended questions with some of you target market as this will throw up key areas of interest (regarding price, quality, quanity etc)....this will help you form a more structure questionaire where you can get measurable figures. Be careful how you ask your questions that you don't just get the answers you want to.
You could always approach a final year marketing student/or graduate who might be happy to get the experience for a reasonable renumberation - they may have access to a package which will help to process the information.
It's not a good idea to survey friends and family - you need to get totally unbiased opinions.
A small amount spent now, could save you a fortune down the road.