Q: I want to start my own business. I have tons of business ideas that all sound great to me, but my husband is not so sure. He says that we need to figure out a way to test my ideas to pick the one that has the best chance of succeeding. Im ready to just pick one and go for it. What is the best way to determine if a business idea really is as good as it sounds?
— Hannah C.
A: Heather, I know you probably dont want to hear this, but your husband is right (first time for everything, huh): before you just pick a business idea and go for it you should test the feasibility of your ideas to make sure they really are as good as you think they are.
Every business idea, no matter how good it sounds while bouncing around inside your head, should be put to the test before you invest time and money into its execution. Success lies not in what you think of your idea, but what the buying public will think. Many entrepreneurs find out too late that the publics opinion of their idea differs greatly from their own. Wasted time and money aside, the last thing you want to do is hear I told you so! from your husband, so take a deep breath, slow down, and lets look at...