Are you ready to start a new business? It’s important to know how to test a business idea before sharing it with the world. Testing a business idea can save you a lot of time, money and stress.

Use Social Media to Test a Business Idea

Do you have followers on Instagram, Facebook, or another social media site? Do you have an email list of friends and family, or a specific email list of customers for your current business?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, pick at least a few social media followers or people from your email list who might be potential customers for your business product or service idea.

Ask these people about their knowledge and experiences with a product or service that’s like your idea. Find out what’s currently working for them, what problems they have, and what solutions do they need.

Then, talk about your idea and take note of any positive comments or constructive criticism you get from your followers or email subscribers.  This will help you create a product or service that uniquely fits your customer’s needs.

Ask Deeper Questions

You now know about your customers’ problems. But what’s stopping your customers from finding their own solutions for their struggle? Are they afraid of taking certain actions? Do they feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to get started?

Another way to test your business idea without spending lots of money is to ask your potential customers these deeper questions. This will show you how to sell your business idea and convince people that buying your product or service will help them act or feel less overwhelmed while solving an important problem.

Try a Group Test of Your Business Idea

You’ve created a new product or service. Now it’s time to find a small group of people, also called beta users, who will use your product or service. A beta group gives you a much-needed dose of reality about your business idea. The group’s experiences will show you how your product works … and what part(s) of your idea doesn’t work.

Final Thoughts

It’s been said that there are no guarantees, especially when you test a business idea, but not a lot of money.

You can boost your chances of having a successful business product or service.

Reaching out to your social media followers, asking deeper questions, and having a beta group gives you a more realistic picture of how your product will help your customers.

Photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash