The economy continues to ring with uncertainty. Despite retail sales being up year over year this past Thanksgiving weekend, the stock market is down as the future remains cloudy. It is easy to become frustrated in these times, but often, the best businesses evolve and improve in exactly this type of climate. The work starts first with investing in your existing customers.

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Have you ever had a brainstorm for a great business idea? Of course! We all have had these brilliant flashes of genius. Sometimes we tuck them away for later use, sometimes we start furiously writing the business plan. In a lot cases, people are not sure how to start figuring out if the idea is a good one or not. Here are some key questions to help you get started before putting the effort into a business plan or tossing the idea aside:

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When you are interviewing for a job, you are not only being considered for the position, you are considering whether you want to join that business. The same goes when you start a business. In fact, given the amount of dedication it takes to start, build and profit from a new business, it is critical that you look at the endeavor as a job and compare it to your other opportunities to make sure it is the right fit for you.

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Behind every success story is great execution. And behind every successful execution is a well-worn set of projections and a plan. There are multitudes of resources and templates available online from sites like the Small Business Association, but how do you get started thinking through a new product or service concept? Before you write a polished plan, pull out trusty Microsoft Excel and start creating scenarios.

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