How to Test Your Online Business Idea in 5 Simple Steps

February 7, 2023

Background image overlay of dark-haired woman sitting in chair with laptop and title Want a successful business? The 5 steps to take to ensure your business idea is a success. stefaniegass.com/blog

Are you questioning your online business idea? Do you want to be sure that you are going in the right direction? Whether you are planning the start of your business or are already in the process, you can use this five-step niche test to validate where you are going.

This test is going to help you get more clarity and dig in more. And it might even steer you in a different direction if you have already run with your online business idea!

Gold splatter and gray background and quote We have to start with where we are at, gain the clarity we can and trust God in the process. -Stefanie Gass

Before you get started with the niche test, the first thing you need to do is write out your online business idea. Write what you are already doing or planning, then you can move into the five-step niche test.

5 steps to complete your niche test

1. Take a poll

Once you have clarity around who you’re going to serve, I want you to go into other people’s Facebook groups and post-market research questions. Ask triggering and specific questions about your business idea.
For example, if you’re creating a nutritional-based business for kids, you’re going to go into Facebook groups for moms and post #marketresearch questions. One example could be asking, “when it comes to nutrition, where are you struggling as a mom with little ones?” Poll as much as you can to get as much information as you can! I’d recommend doing no less than 10 different polls over a week or two.

2. Collect all of the answers

Now, you’re going to collect ALL of the answers to your market research questions and put them into an Excel spreadsheet or into a Mindmeister map (it’s FREE!). These answers will either validate your online business idea or challenge it. They will give you clarity on what your avatar actually needs versus what you think they need.
Once you have the data collection from step one of the niche test, comb through it and compare it to your idea. Ask yourself if your brand, course, or program is aligning with what your avatar says that they need. You may end up tweaking your idea to line it up with what they are wanting. Compare your messaging to the brand idea.

3. Test/Beta your online business idea

You are actually going to work with people! Eek! This step will show you if you’re able to meet your avatar’s needs or desires when you talk with someone one-on-one.

So, what I want you to do give something away for free. This could look like giving away 15-minutes of coaching or a question-and-answer session. By doing this, it will help you validate what your ideal clients say to you and what your answers are. And what you talk to your listeners about is going to help with your framework for your online business idea. This will also allow you to make connections so you can create future pillars for your business.

When you give your audience an actual solution, it will boost your confidence, show you what possible solutions might be, and give you content ideas.

Gold splatter background and quote What your audience needs is often not what you think they need. -Stefanie Gass

4. Brain dump

Step four of the niche test is to do a brain dump. After you have worked with five people, write down every idea and every pain point that you can come up with that has to do with your online business idea. To make this easy, you can use Mindmeister to map it all out. Add everything you have learned about your future business and the answers they have given you through the conversations to the brain dump. Then categorize them into three buckets. These buckets will help you fill your future podcast pillars.

When you join Clarify Your Calling, you will already have a lot of the basics you need to plug into the homework I will give you inside the course. That will help you create the brand and we will work through it together.

5. Get clarity on your avatar

The fifth and final step of the niche test is to write out a description of your perfect ideal client and then try to find her number one problem.

When you finally uncover your avatar’s number one problem, your online business idea can explode because you finally know exactly what you need to do! You will know:

What you need to create to solve their number one problem
How to speak to that problem
The obstacles keeping them from solving that problem on their own

Use these five-steps for your niche test to see if your online business idea is headed in the direction it should go. It’s time to go validate your idea!

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

P.S. Also, listen to podcast episode 334 for the full training on 5 Step NICHE Test! Validate Your Business Idea in 5 Simple Steps!

APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE PODCAST

Before you go, be sure to watch the free workshop!

This free workshop is for you if you want to grow an online business in less time.

It will teach you how to explode your audience without the social media hustle, make consistent sales using a podcast, and plan, record, and launch a podcast with ease!