Do People Want What you have to Offer?
One of the scariest parts of starting a business is whether or not people, will actually buy what you are selling.
You may think you have this amazing idea and so everyone you know, including family and friends, but will anyone else want it?
You make amazing cookies, but will people pay for them?
You designed an awesome tool to use while in the back country, 
but will other people like it and use it too?
Are there plenty of people out there willing to spend money on your amazing product, skills or knowledge?
Before you dump tons of money into your business, you need to find out what you ideal customer wants and if it is what you have to offer.
So I guess you want to know how, right?
- The number one way to see if your product will sell is to talk to people. Talk to 25-100 potential customers about what you plan to offer. Ask them their struggles, needs, thoughts, concerns, and what they want in regards to what you plan to sell. For instance, I am currently conducting a Moms Dream Business Project. I am in the process of interviewing 50 moms to see what their struggles are with starting their businesses while being home with their kids. I have, what I feel is, a great idea for a program that I have been working on, but just like you I need to make sure others are struggling and in need of what I want to offer.
- Send out a survey and asks people what they want. This is similar to meeting and calling people, in terms of what you ask, however, it is a little less personal. You still get great information and feedback, but you can get so much more specific details actually talking to people one on one.
- Another great way to get clear on your business idea is look up your potential competitors. Are there people out there doing what you want to do, selling a product or service similar to yours? I know this can be intimidating, but if others are successfully doing what you want to, then that means there is a market for you.
- Finally, do some market and industry research. This is where you take the time to see what is happening in the industry and market you are looking to enter. Is there growth happening, new trends, are a different group of people looking into what you have to offer? By taking the time to research you are able to continue to narrow down your idea and shape it to what people really want. *I have a blog post in the works on how to do this, so keep an eye out for it.
So, get out there! Talk to people, look into your competitors and do some research. You have an amazing business idea, but by doing these steps, you will create an even better product/service that you know really people want.
What is one way you are going to verify your business idea today?
