So you have a great idea.
Let’s assume that the idea is the basis for a new business concept. To validate or test the feasibility of the new idea, I recommend starting with the customer and working your way back to the company or idea sponsor and ultimately reconciling with the investor.
The acid test is as follows:
1. Why would a customer buy this offering? What are the benefits or what is the value proposition?
2. Who or what is the target market? Be VERY specific.
3. Is the firm or idea sponsor capable of providing and/or making the offering including access to resources such as people, materials, channels of distribution, partners, and technology?
4. Does the offering fit the firm or idea sponsor’s strategy?
5. Will the offering make money? How much and how soon? Will their be enough runway for the idea to thrive?
6. Will the investor/s sleep at night knowing that a decent ROI is possible?
Finally, for a new idea to “have legs” it needs to make life better. Otherwise, why do it?
John Bradley Jackson
Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship
California State University, Fullerton
I am a Cal State Fullerton Anthropology student. I used your model and founded two websites. One is a wholesale directory called http://www.mylocalwholesaler.com which connects the buyers to their local wholesalers. The other one is a wholesale ecommerce website called http://www.ocsurplus.com which is helping the eBay power sellers to find the stuff that they sell online. They are doing ok. I hope my investors can sleep at night though.