Every successful business starts with an idea. But let’s be clear—a good idea alone isn’t enough.

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Successful businesses begin with answers to questions like…

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• What are the startup costs and can you afford them?
• Have you found a proven system to follow that creates predictable results?
• Will you create your own market assets or outsource to others?
• What technology will you need? Is it already in place or will you have to assemble it?
• Are you prepared for having too few—or too many—customers?

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These are the questions you need to answer before you can transform your idea into a business. If your answers are less than satisfactory, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

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Why? Because you may find yourself with a business, but no customers. That’s because you have an idea, but not a solution. And people will pay you for solutions, not ideas.

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You may discover that your idea is good, but needs refinement.

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Or you may discover that you need a new idea!

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Either way, it’s better to vet your ideas fully at the start than realize you’ve built an entire business on an unstable foundation.

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So take your idea, and put it through the ringer. If it’s good, it will survive. If not, you’ll have saved yourself a serious headache, a lot of time, and possibly a significant amount of money.