Have you ever had a genius business idea struck you only to fizzle out in the end because you have no idea of how to bring your startup idea to the next level? Well, to help you get started, here is a concrete step by step guide to develop your startup idea.

1.Consider and analyse the relevant markets

Firstly, consider the market niche(s) that your startup idea is applicable to. What are the needs of the industry and its consumers? Are there any unresolved problems faced by the industry? Is your startup idea going to bring resolutions and improvements to the situation? You can refer to industry-specific authority sites to keep you constantly updated with the latest trends.  For example, Techcrunch is an excellent technology blog that talks about the latest products, and shares the latest news in the tech world. It also profiles new startups and provides an overview of up and coming fledglings in the market.

An excellent source of inspiration is TED, which is famous for its widely known slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading”. It is a treasure chest of information about everything imaginable under the sky. It is incepted as a conference where experts in various niches convene to share their insights on issues that can bring about revelations and raise awareness. Presenters usually have around 18 minutes to talk about their topic and the focus of their presentation can span from the latest advancements in a field of discipline to societal issues that they wish to heighten the awareness of. After attending the talks or watching its videos, you will leave feeling more inspired than ever

2.Note down your ideas and expand them

At this stage, you might have identified needs or areas that can be improved upon. Note them down with a tool such as Evernote. Evernote allows you to save clippings of web pages, images and even attached documents  and powerpoint  slides. You can create several notes and sort them out according to topics and genre. Evernote can be accessed via various platforms such as windows, ios and android. A simple click of the sync button will ensure that your notes are synchronized across all platforms.

3.Carry out competitive analysis

Competitive analysis is a great way of comparing and predicting how your business will stand up against your competitors in the industry. Is your business able to fill in a void that’s left untouched by others?

Here’s how to go about executing your competitive analysis:

4.Model your business

If the idea of creating a business plan seems too tedious and clunky, you will delight in using Leancanvas and Canvanizer. They are templates that emulate a one page business model. It is easy to add and update the model. You also get to enjoy a clear overview of the following nine building blocks of your business model: customer segments, value propositions, channels(to reach out to clients), customer relationship, revenue streams, key resources, activities that create value, key partners, and cost structure.

5.Create/design/sketch your mockup and then test it

The time has long past the stage where you have draw sketches on a whiteboard and scribble all over the place. Online tools such as Balsamiq and Framebox allows you to create wireframes and export it in different formats such as jpg or pdf. There are several buttons or components of a web application for you to choose so you can put together your sketch easily. Want to get feedback on your mockup sans unnecessary distractions and confusion? InfluenceApp is the way to go. You can upload your design in various formats and assimilate the rest of the documents to form a complete presentation. You can then share the final mockup with your teammates simply by sharing a URL, and they can provide feedback simply by pinning comments on the specific elements of the design. It’s that easy!

6.Execute a market survey

No business ought to be launched without the execution of a market survey. Websites such as Survey Monkey allows you to create an online questionnaire and send the URL to your targeted audience. This transcends geographic boundaries which is one major advantage compared to on-field survey as you can gain a broader, global perspective.

Another alternative is to conduct a focus group session before or after the completion of your Minimum Viable Product. This is where you invite people from your targeted demographics to participate in a group discussion on the products or services. A focus group can help you achieve the following:

·        Finding out consumer’s first impression of the product or services based on packaging and marketing campaign

·        Gathering customer’s real time feedback on the virtues and vices of the products/services

·        Tweaking your marketing strategies and improving your product before the final deliverable

7.Develop your final product

The next step would be to implement the tweaks and necessary adjustments to create the final product. During this stage, there are several project management softwares to help you keep tab of the progress. Trello and Agile Zen are some good recommendations. The template is divided into different stages (or boards) where individuals can be assigned to be in charge of different sections. Tasks can be moved from one stage to another, e.g. from backlog to working to approved. This gives a very clear picture of the progress of each project segment and what needs to be done.

8.Gathering customer feedback and measuring your business results

There are lots of uncertainties about a business but what if you can get answers to the burning questions you have if things aren’t going as expected? Kissinsights help you to reach out to your audience. You can install it on your website and visitors will be prompted with two questions when directed to your home page. You have the flexibility to control who is exposed to the survey. Another tool that you should not miss out  is Kissmetrics. It tracks the surfing and purchasing behaviour of your visitors and provides you with valuable information such as where they came from. This handy information helps you to further refine your marketing strategies and improve your site navigation.

The last two steps will be revisited again and again as your business continuously develops and adapts to the market.