5 Ways to Know If Your Business Idea Is Brilliant or a Bust

Fifteen years in the home-improvement business taught Matt Fineberg that no one pulls the trigger on a big-ticket project—such as a new roof or windows—without first getting a handful of estimates.

When he began building his Philadelphia-based estimate marketplace, Bestimators, in 2013, Fineberg thought he knew what his potential customers needed, and how to deliver it. “I heard ‘I need to get a few more estimates’ daily for the better part of a decade, so I hired a contractor to build out a product to help homeowners do just that,” he says.

A former design-build “aquascaper” (a landscaper with a focus on water features) who charged a consultation fee for his services, he assumed his new business would work on the same model. But feedback from homeowners showed him otherwise.

7 Simple Ways to Start Your Dream Business Today

I have a family member that has been talking about quitting her job for the past five years. I have a friend that has been talking about starting a business for the past 10 years. I see these two scenarios every day, with different people, in different areas of my life.

I get emails from hundreds of entrepreneurs every week (most likely because I’ve included my email address on my columns and because one was titled, Why and How You Should Cold Email Everyone). That offers me the opportunity to speak to lots of entrepreneurs. I hear their requests, and learn what problems they need to overcome. Figuring out how to start is one of the biggest hurdles.