Wondering if your business idea will actually work, even now? I hear these kinds of questions a lot and feel compelled to write a post to say: YES!

Well, yes with a qualifier. I’ll give you some business readiness criteria below, based on timeless principles, no matter today’s market.

First, let me elaborate on the common ways I hear that fear expressed:

• “Isn’t the market saturated with that?”
• “Isn’t everyone trying to start a business right now?”
• “Is there really room for me too?”
• “No one is spending right now so why would they buy my services?”
• “Is this business idea viable right now?”

For Starters, Consider This…

Just because there are thousands of people already offering something similar to what you do, your particular way of doing things is unique to you. Your true audience is the people who resonates with YOU. It’s about the fit more than about numbers. 

But if you want to talk numbers, know that there are so many more people in the world than you can fathom. You don’t need that many people to notice you in order to be successful. Business genius Seth Godin put it like this:

If you have a million Twitter followers, that means that 99.9% of the people on Twitter are ignoring you, which, with a little rounding, means you have 0%.

If you write a book and it sells a million copies, it will be one of the bestselling books of the year. It will also reach far fewer than 1% of the country’s population, never mind the world.

There are very few things that ever rise to 1% of the market. Not only don’t you need everyone, the act of chasing everyone is probably keeping you from reaching anyone.

Zero (rounded) is enough.”

~Seth Godin [source]

So what about, how to know if my business is viable and ready for market.

Business Readiness Criteria – Timeless Principles

There is room for you in today’s market once you can say all these are true:

1. I am clear about my life purpose or calling, my best strengths, and am passionate about the work I have in mind. (If not, this could help you clarify your most aligned path.)
2. I am clear about a particular need in the marketplace that aligns with my calling and skills. (Yes, a little market research, not just guessing, is involved, but it’s doable.)
3. I have taken a serious look at the numbers and figured out the right offerings and prices to make the business model work for me and my audience. (A business accountant can help you crunch the numbers. And a business coach can help you make good decisions that fit for you.)
4. I’m willing to invest time and money on my business, even before it gives me money. (Which means you have a plan to cover expenses before the business can support you.)
5. I’m willing to tell people what I have to offer. (Marketing can work for introverts too.)
6. I’m willing to ride the wave of faith for a while and ask for help whenever I feel stuck. (Going it alone goes nowhere.)
7. I’m willing to take my business seriously, as you would with any big responsibility like parenting or a leadership job.
8. I’m willing to organize myself to choose priorities and get them done.

Passion Overrides It All, Maybe.

If you can’t say yes to all the items in that list yet, but you do have genuine passion about your idea, you can get some extra support to resolve the missing pieces. It is possible!

Here are some typical sources of support, and it depends on your situation as to which is the best fit at this time: business coach, learning about self-employment, business support group, and/or business basics support resources.

I believe it is possible for many people, far more than think they can do it. But it’s not for everyone.

We can find the overlap between the world’s needs and your calling.

By the way: Introverts are great at self-employment! Highly sensitive people are also great at self-employment!

There is room for you! The world and the possibilities are far bigger than you can fathom.

Why Am I So Sure?

I see it happen over and over. People who are afraid eventually find it’s working once they follow a bit of structure and faith.

I see people succeed even without all those criteria fulfilled. Sometimes messiness and “going for it” work. Often, however, it’s at the expense of rest and family time. Or it’s with a lot of big bumps and dead ends along the way.

I’d like you to have more balance and ease than that, hence the stricter criteria I’m writing for you.

I overworked at first because only half of the criteria were in place. I’m back on track now and can say all the pieces are in place, including down time, and it’s working. I want more ease for you from the beginning.