Deciding Whether Your Great Idea is Really a Viable Business Model
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve answered the phone and given a price to someone who is absolutely sure that theirs is "the next big thing." They’re going to let people advertise on their site. They’re going to create a massive affiliate site. They’re going to do something... whatever. The person on the other end of the phone is absolutely certain that theirs is a winning concept; and now they want a price.
I give people the straight upshot. I tell them exactly what I think. Sometimes those "great ideas" really aren’t that great at all. I do not want our customers to take out a second mortgage on something that I suspect will eventually fail. Before you think about spending a lot of money creating this vision, first test your idea out... run it past a half dozen trusted, and very successful people, then measure the results.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I am not a wimp. In fact, I’m all for a good risk. Starting my own company was a huge risk, and although I have not yet seen what I believe will be its full manifestation, I believe that we are going to be the finest web development company possible.
However, that aside... I strongly encourage you, before you get started, to plant yourself in your would-be customer’s shoes. Is what you propose to create of significant value to them? Will their world really be changed for the better? If the answer is not an unqualified "yes," then I urge you to reconsider.
One of my favorite websites is ConstantContact.com. We use it to send out our online newsletters and email tips. My guess is that the people who created it did so to circulate emails to their own clients. They probably then shared it with a few very grateful friends, and finally made it available to the public via a paid subscription.
The bottom line is... make sure that what you’re about to offer the public will really and truly rock their world. Business entrepreurship is a lot like living through an Indiana Jones flick. Before you get started, make sure that what you’re pursuing really is that "priceless gem."
This material is Copyrighted. All rights reserved. Linda C. Uranga-Norton,
President and Founder, Urangatang Web Design. To obtain reprint
permission or engage the author for speaking engagements,
please contact the author at
. All reprints must include a link to the author's website
at www.urangatang.com.
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