1: Planning

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Table of Contents

Still feeling stuck? Try brainstorming!1. What am I really into?2. Products or services that relate to my interests 3. Specific audiences you can offer for each product category

1. Define your “why”

You can start a business overnight, but having a deeper understanding of why you’re choosing this path is what will propel your business forward.

Think of your “why” as the backbone and the heartbeat of your business. It’ll allow you to feel a deeper connection and remind you why you chose this journey when both celebrations and challenges arise. Your why will be the thing you come back to as an entrepreneur, whenever you celebrate a milestone or encounter an obstacle, or go from your first customer to your 100th.

Every business owner has their own unique why because everyone has a unique story. You can even have more than one why and they may change over time. Writing it out can be an eye-opening exercise that affects the way you make decisions about your business.

Some entrepreneurs are motivated by the prospect of making money while having the freedom to carve a path that’s their own. Some entrepreneurs create a side business as a way to develop supplemental income. While others may use business as a means of expressing who they are and what they care about to the world.

Take some time to reflect on your own why and write it out below:

[your why]

2. Feeling stuck and still haven’t found your “why” yet?

Below are some examples of the problems (or areas of opportunity!) that starting a business can begin to solve.

“To achieve financial freedom and retire young.”

“To create a job where I can be my own boss.”

“To solve a problem that I’ve experienced.”

“To make extra income to save for a big purchase”

“To rally behind a cause I’m passionate about.”

“To support myself and my family.”

“To have the freedom to make my own schedule and work from where I want.”

3. What’s your why? Fill out the phrase below:

I want to start a business to

“I dreamed of a brand that made products that tasted good, that had ingredients I felt good about sharing with my family. It should also be cool enough that someone without food allergies would choose to also eat it. When I couldn’t find it, I left my career to start Partake.”

– Denise Woodard, Founder, Partake Foods

1. Brainstorm your business idea

More than money or employees, the first thing you’ll need to start a business is an idea.

It’s the seed that the rest of your business will grow from. As you move through the Business Blueprint, your idea may evolve to a point where it’s quite different than when you started. And that’s okay because by building on your initial concept with research, marketing, and finance, you’ll develop a stronger idea.

You can define a clear business idea by answering the following questions:

What are you selling?

Who will be your audience?

What’s in it for your customers?

Put it together and you have the ingredients for an awesome business idea:

I’m going to sell [thing you’re selling] to [audience] so they can [what’s in it for customers].

Here’s an example:

I’m going to sell delicious hot sauce to people who like spicy food so they can add some kick to their favorite meals.

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Hot Tip: If choosing an idea is challenging, it helps to think about what problems you could be solving for a customer. Additionally, try to pick an idea with an audience group that’s large enough to sustain and scale your business.

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Bonus Content: Check out The Big List of Business Ideas to find 100+ in-demand business ideas you can start today!