As an entrepreneurial spirit, you may have many business ideas swirling through your head. Creativity is the essence of successful entrepreneurial businesses but only if your niche market passes these three criteria:

• Your market has to WANT what you offer.
• Your market has to KNOW that they want what you offer.
• Your market has to be willing to PAY YOU WELL for what you offer.

To give you an example of a creative business idea that did not pass this test- a coach who specialized in stress-reduction created a wonderful program to showed teachers how to reduce their stress.

But the business idea did not work. Why? The teachers wanted what she offered (#1) and knew they wanted it (#2), but they didn’t have the disposable income to invest in her service (#3). However, this coach found great success when she changed her niche from teachers to businesses.

You can test out your ideas with your market by surveying them. Make sure your niche market passes all three criteria. If it doesn’t, change your niche market OR change what you offer to better serve what they want.

This single tip can save you years of wasted energy!