Best way to do customer segmentation for specialty chemicals?

For small B2B samples in specialty chemicals, I'd skip traditional clustering and go with needs-based segmentation using in-depth interviews — even 15-20 conversations can reveal really distinct buyer personas around application type, purity requirements, and supply chain priorities. Firmographic cuts (end-market, company size, geography) are a good starting layer too. Small n is totally normal here — just be transparent about it and validate with your sales team.