Why start a business, who are your customers and how will you test your business ideas- the must ask questions before you start a business

Why start a business

So you Googled the top 10 most successful businesses to start, or best business to start, etc. You are looking at starting a business and you want to be ensure that this business will make money. So what do you need to consider?

Business and Entrepreneurship are an extension of self-expression.  Even with a vision for innovation and advancement, a completely amazing product or service, starting a business is difficult. So before starting a business, make sure that the type of business you select is something you want to talk about and work on constantly, as it’s going to take a lot of work before you actually achieve your goal. 

Before starting that business, test its viability, by asking and answering these ten questions:

1. Why start this business? 

Creating a business that helps clients solve a problem or fulfill a need is the purpose of business. And yes, in the beginning, and for most of us, getting rich is the reason we start a business and for some, it’s not even the goal for actually being in business. Real business looks different from how it seems on social media. There are a lot of long nights, a lot of No thank-yous, and it’s a constant learning experience. That said I think a lot of us, Business Owners Love it. Does entrepreneurship involve luck, genes, or environment? Somewhat. But one of the most crucial elements to have is a product or service that fulfills a need and is well-positioned in the market. You can only achieve this once you have done your marketing research.

2. What need or gap in your product or service fulfilling?

A business’s mission must be defined for success. Conduct market research to understand people’s daily concerns and desired solutions that fall in line with your product.  As the Business Owner, be aware that you are maybe biased in your analysis and that it may be worthwhile to use a consultant or soundboard your findings with peers.  

3. What’s your big vision and goal?

So, if your dreams don’t scare you, dream bigger! In building a company toward a vision, you need to first have a vision and then work back from that vision to the present day. This exercise will help you predict your next year, two, and three years. Define your goals as precisely as possible. Even if you’re just starting out, you should consider your vision, mission, and goals.

4. Do you have business expertise?

List your skills, and expertise and compare them to the skills and expertise needed to start, grow and run your business. where you fall short, try to bring in partners, consultants, or employees who can excel in those areas and complement your skill set. 

5. What do you need in your business?

You’ll need support, a strong professional network, and funds to launch your business. List your needs and inventory what you currently have and what identify what you need to acquire.  After recognizing your needs, act or seek outside help. Sometimes you can’t tackle problems alone, so you must rely on others. Help! Once you know your needs, analyze your networks (personal and professional). People in your neighborhood can help you. Contact them now. Invite them to a meeting or phone conversation to discuss your idea. Your professional network affects the success of your business. Don’t forget your own network, though (family and friends). You can also search for local tools, training, and support programs for entrepreneurs. Online classes are offered. Co-working can help you build your professional network. When starting off, you’ll need time for networking and events.

6. Who are your customers?

Selling to everyone doesn’t work. Fact! Everyone is not your customer. Identifying your clients’ typical profiles in advance is crucial. Create a client persona or client avatar to best understand the needs, desires, challenges, and goals of your customers. He who knows his customer best will succeed in this area of sales. Know everything about your customer including and mostly their objections. 

7. Is there a market for your Product or Service?

Again, a market analysis can help you decide if there’s a market for your product or service. Thanks to digital technology, “market research” is far from impossible to undertake. Market research focuses on competition. Instead of a threat, accept it as truth and an opportunity. Instead of reinventing the wheel, improve what’s already out there (e.g., adopt a different approach or method, highlight your talents and experience, or find a unique communication style).

8. Is your business sustainable?

Starting a business is great, but supporting oneself with it is better. Test your business, its products, services  and processes to see whether it works, how you can improve on it and  and if you can make a living from it. The Lack of a Market Need is the leading reason for business failure, therefore investigate your market and test your idea quickly. Again, we come back to why market research is so important.

9. How will you test your business ideas?

Many business owners wait for the best offer before launching. As unwanted products or services in the market are useless. Instead of waiting for perfection, try your idea now (for example, gather a community around you, create your own content, create a landing page, etc.). This shows if the business or idea is worth time, money, and effort.

10. How will you test your business ideas?

Start small, start fast be prepared to fail, and change many times over. Starting a business is difficult if you’re unprepared.  Networking, and smart planning will help you examine your business idea, establish a business model, and test your idea. Many business owners hold off on starting their venture until they obtain the ideal offer. Launching a product or service that no one will use is pointless. Consider how you may test your idea right now rather than waiting for everything to be flawless (for example, gather a community around you, create your own content, create a landing page, etc.). This will indicate whether the project is worthwhile in terms of time, money, and additional effort.

So you Googled the top 10 most successful businesses to start, or best business to start, or maybe start-up business ideas looking for that instant millionaire business idea. And now you found out, that to really succeed at business takes a lot of work, starting with firstly extensive market research.

If you don’t adequately prepare yourself, when you start a business , the likeliness of it succeeding decreases.  The assessment of your business idea, and business model, are key to business success. Smart planning, networking, continuous learning, and then ACTION would be the next steps. Now scaling a business, is a different matter and one we will cover in another article

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