These are insider insights to building a business that you must have to be a success and are important for anyone with an idea/vision. It can be applied in any field. Business related or not.

Step 1: You've got to have clarity
Getting clarity means understanding the why of the vision/idea. Why are you going into it, why you want to do it?What's the expected end?

Your answer at this point is one of the most important things you'll need because it's going to decide the sort of decisions or actions you take. You'll need it in developing your marketing strategy, business model or growth strategy.

So answers like I want to open a provision shop, I want to sell bags, I want to sell broilers etc., do not qualify as correct answers because it has no depth, no value and it is focused on the product.

A vision/idea is never focused on the product. There is an end, a bigger picture mostly focused on the benefits that your customer and or consumer is going to get.

You have Coca-Cola with slogans like open happiness, good feeling, enjoy, satisfaction becauce their mission is to refresh the world and create happiness.

Which is why you can't take a bottle of coke and feel dull, you rather feel energized, pumped or refreshed. So Coca-Cola is in the business of providing refreshing or happiness. Not soft drinks.

An architect has to understand and have a picture of the building before he starts to draw. This is what clarity is.

Just having a clear view of where you want to end up and I'm not talking about money. It's not about how much you want to get. Its the ultimate value you give to people.

Step 2: Make an assessment
Okay so when you're sure you have a clear view and understanding of the long-term goal, you can begin to assess yourself.

What are your strengths, weaknesses, what experience do you have and what can someone else do better than you?

This is not the time for self-affirmation or positive thinking. Just be real and state what you're sure you can do and what you cannot do right now. Would it be best to get someone else to do that instead?

It's probably not the right time to ask your closest friends. Depending on the sort of friends you have though �.

So basically you just want to cover: the resources you have versus what you need. Resources in terms of human resources, what skills you need, who has those skills if you don't have them yourself or the time to learn them.

See that Jack Ma was not a programmer, yet he founded Alibaba with his team.

Other things you'll need to cover are physical resources: equipments, what you'll need to buy, financial resources like cash, capital, how can you get it, who do you need to get it, how can you bootstrap if you don't have capital?

You also need to research about your competitors, who are the big guys, mid level guys, start ups, direct and indirect competitors.

If you're going into the fruit juice industry for example, you'll know that your direct competitor is Nutriture daily Fruities and indirect competitor is Coca-Cola.

Because Coca-Cola makes carbonated energy drink while Nutritures just fresh fruit juice.

You'll need to research your target market. Those who have the money and are allowed to buy from you. Understand that a customer is the person who buys the product, while your consumer is who uses it.

Mothers may be the customers of healthy powdered pap like Meliorate foods produces but babies are more the consumers.

This is not about the product you want to use to sell but the value you're going to deliver. Your product is bags, but sister A need bags for a different reason that Sister B needs bags. The value is different. You get?

As you do this you'll get more clarity about the vision and it will help you make edits, so that when you're telling someone else or an investor it'll be clear.

They'll be able to buy into your vision and see the bigger picture themselves.

Because if they are not able to see, if it's not clear how they're going to get their money back, nobody is going to give you their money.

So don't rush through step 1 and 2 take your time. I know your blood is hot.

You have an idea today, tomorrow you're going to look for capital and be complaining upandan that nobody wants to invest in your idea �.

More on this tomorrow...

© The Exceptionals Creativity Hub (TECH)

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