Idea PlannerTest your idea small first
The cheapest way to learn is to try a small version before you spend the large amount.
Week 1: talk to customers
Speak to at least ten people who might buy. Ask what they do now, what they pay, what annoys them and what would make them change. Do not pitch; listen. Write their words down.
Week 2: sell a small version
Offer the simplest form of your idea to five people: a few meals, a few classes, a few repairs. Charge a real price, however small the number of customers, because free tells you nothing.
Week 3: count
Write down what each sale cost you in money and in time, what the customer paid, and what they said. Use the monthly profit worksheet with these real numbers instead of guesses.
Week 4: decide
- Go on if customers paid, came back or referred others, and the numbers leave something for you.
- Change one thing, such as the price, the product or the customer, and test again.
- Stop if the numbers do not work and you cannot see a change that would fix them. Stopping after four weeks is a cheap lesson.
What not to do
Do not buy equipment, rent a shop or take a loan before this test. Most of those costs can be avoided or delayed by borrowing, sharing or starting from home, where rules allow.
Common questions
How much should I spend on the test?
As little as possible: only what you need to serve a few customers. If the test needs a large spend, make it smaller.
What if no one will pay?
That is useful. Ask why. The answer might be price, trust or need, and each points to a different change.
Keep going
This site states no profit figure, start-up cost, licence requirement or loan scheme: you type your own numbers, and the idea pages list questions to ask and things to measure. Interest rates in the worksheets are typed by you. It is not financial, tax or legal advice. Checked 14 November 2026.