All across America, millions of would-be entrepreneurs would love to turn their interest, hobby, or talent into a dream business. Unfortunately, most don't know where to start and waste months or years without taking action.
But according to Strikingly.com CEO David Chen -- a serial entrepreneur who secured top White House kudos and got $1.5M of funding for his own startup -- any person with a business idea should set aside one weekend to test whether that idea might have huge potential. Here's how:
STEP 1: DEVELOP YOUR IDEA ONLINE
Instead of writing a business plan, describe your product or service on its own website (as if it already exists). Use a free or low-cost website builder (such as Strikingly.com) that lets you create a very simple site without any technical knowledge and that you can update on your own.
STEP 2: SHARE YOUR IDEA
Leverage your network of friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social networks to drive people to your new site. For your closest friends, request that they share your website link with others.
STEP 3: CAPTURE CUSTOMER INTEREST (AND EMAILS)
Measure whether or not website visitors like your idea by having a strong "call to action." For instance, if visitors are interested in purchasing your product or service, require that they first submit their email address (which you can also use for future marketing).
STEP 4: RINSE AND REPEAT
If a low percentage of people seem interested in your idea, revise your idea concept and update your Strikingly.com website accordingly. Start the process on all over again with the revised idea.
By implementing these four steps in a single weekend, you can hone in on your market faster, test out multiple ideas simultaneously, and maybe even discover the next big thing. Why waste months or even years creating a product that people don't really want?