The one thing you need to do before starting a business idea

So you’ve woke up with sheer excitement, you’ve cracked it.

I need to write this down.

You grab a notepad (or most likely, your smart phone) and you write furiously trying to get everything down before it leaves your head. Then this happens:

“This is amazing. I need to tell someone.” – You

“Will it work though?” – Mind

“It has to.” – You

“It’s too good for someone not to have done this.” – Mind

“Ah, but are they doing it well or with purpose?” – You

“Not sure.” – Mind

“Maybe I should just stick with what I know then.” – You

“No, now is your time!” – Mind

“Yeah, but the mortgage, kids, family, it’s not going to work.” – You

“Just sleep on it.” – Mind

“I’ll sleep on it.” – You

See what the mind did there? Cheeky.

The conversations in your head. Tossing and turning. Maybe this is it, this is the idea / thing you’re suppose to be doing?

Your mind is proven to find the path of least resistance – just stay where you are, you’re doing well, we don’t need to work on this idea now. Just look how comfy the duvet is.

But what if you knew your mind was going to do just that? Would you fight it or cave in much earlier to save the restless sleep? It’s up to you.

One thing you must do, when an idea comes into your head and it feels like the one – you must talk to someone about it. Someone who runs a business, preferably – they might have been a successful entrepreneur and retired – or they might be just starting out too.

Idea validation is what you need. And you need it to come from someone who is or has smashed their own idea out the park.

Don’t ask a loved one or someone who has no idea how to get something like this off the ground. Especially your mind.

“Yeah, but what if they steal my idea?” They won’t. At least the right people won’t anyway. Who are you hanging around with?

Every entrepreneur is on their own path, working on their own idea, towards their own goals. You have your goals, they have theirs. Success to you looks much different to them.

Find someone who is known for helping others and collaborating. Instead of asking your friends and family what they think of your idea – ask them if they know someone who runs a business and if they’d have a coffee with you.

Or find an environment that breeds these type of people. An environment like a co-working space perhaps?

Just saying.

The conversation needs to be around:

– Failures and mistakes
– Successes and wins
– The hard bits
– The good bits
– Your idea on paper
– Who will buy it / how will the idea generate money
– Have you thought about…
– What if you tried…
– I will introduce you to…
– This time next year, who does it look?
– The barriers you think you face (financial, team, time, resources)
– Next steps that are actionable as soon as you leave

Make the most of the time someone gives you. Thank them later down the line, most entrepreneurs see this as “paying it forward” – depositing in the bank before withdrawing help from you further along the journey. There’s no expectation or strings attached.

But it’s always nice to keep them in your thoughts – get to know them. Ask how you could help them, one day you will be able to refer that dream client they told you about or even engage in their services.

That’s why finding the right person / people is important.

You will get 2 things out of this exercise.

– An answer to “is my idea worthwhile”
– A relationship with like-minded people