It’s 1:15 a.m. right now, and I’m sitting here with my laptop and my spoiled cat, Hulury, curled up beside me. Most people are already asleep, but I felt I needed to write this tonight.
Why? Because I remember how confused and overwhelmed I felt years ago when I was trying to figure out my first business.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably in a similar situation. Maybe you want to start a business but don’t know where to begin. Or perhaps you have so many ideas bouncing around in your head that you can’t decide which one to pursue.
Trust me—I’ve been there. In this article, I’m going to share the exact steps I used to choose my business idea, even when I was just a bookshop employee with big dreams.
The Real Challenge: Too Many Ideas or Not Enough?
Here’s the truth about starting a business: you can only begin once you have the right idea. But most people face one of two problems:
- They don’t know what kind of business to start.
- They have too many business ideas and can’t choose just one.
So, what do you do when you have too many business ideas? Or when you’re staring at a blank page with nothing at all? The answer isn’t as complicated as you might think. It just requires some honest reflection and a simple process.
Step 1: How to Find a Business Idea from Your Skills and Experience
Start with What You Already Know
Everyone has something unique to offer. Your skills, your work experience, and your interests are different from everyone else’s—shaped by where you’ve lived, what you’ve done, and how you spend your time.
Let me tell you my story.
In 2001, I started working as a sales assistant in a bookshop. I loved it. The smell of fresh paper, helping customers find the perfect book, organizing the shelves—it all felt right to me. I stayed in that job for over ten years.
Then, in 2004, I did something that surprised my colleagues. I asked my boss if I could also work in the book-printing section. One of my coworkers pulled me aside and asked, “Isn’t it exhausting to work in two departments like that?”
I smiled and told him the truth: “Yes, I’m tired. But I love this industry.”
Why I Did It
I wasn’t trying to impress anyone or earn extra money. I was learning. I wanted to understand every part of the book business—from selling to printing—because deep down, I knew that someday, I would open my own business in this field.
The Lesson: You don’t need to be an expert to start a business. You just need a skill where you naturally stand out, combined with experience in something you’ve actually done.
Questions to Ask Yourself
To find a business idea from your skills, ask:
- What do I do better than most people I know? (Cooking, fixing computers, designing graphics, teaching languages?)
- What jobs have I done that taught me valuable lessons? Your past work experience is a goldmine.
- What topics can I talk about for hours without getting bored? Passion matters.
Step 2: Think About Problems You Can Solve
Look for Pain Points Around You
Some of the best business ideas come from noticing problems—either problems you’ve experienced yourself or ones that people around you face every day.
When I had free time from work, I often met my colleagues from the printing department at a coffee shop. We talked about everything: our frustrations, the challenges at work, and how we wished things could be different.
As I listened, I realized something important. Many of the problems they complained about were the same ones I experienced working in both the bookshop and the printing house. And I knew how to solve them.
Gather Feedback from Others
You can do the same thing. Talk to your family, friends, classmates, or coworkers. Ask them:
- What problems do they face regularly?
- What products or services disappoint them?
- What needs aren’t being met by existing companies?
Step 3: Focus on Lasting Human Needs
Build Around What People Always Need
People everywhere have essential needs that never go away. Some industries can serve those needs for a lifetime.
I believe people need knowledge and self-improvement. That’s why they buy books, take courses, and seek mentors. This need never disappears—it only grows. When I started planning my business, I looked at my local community and asked myself: What do people here need regularly—daily, monthly, and yearly?
That question helped me shape my business idea around something sustainable and meaningful.
Examples of Lasting Needs:
- Food and nutrition
- Health and wellness
- Education and learning
- Safety and security
- Entertainment and joy
Step 4: What to Do When You Have Too Many Business Ideas
Narrow Down Your Options
By following the first three steps, you’ll probably have several potential business ideas. That’s exactly what happened to me.
In 2010, I wrote down three different business ideas on paper. All of them seemed promising. But I couldn’t start three businesses at once—I had to choose. So I asked myself some tough questions.
The Questions That Matter Most
Before choosing your final business idea, ask yourself:
- What is the best business idea for me? (Not just the trendiest one).
- Why am I choosing this particular idea?
- How passionate am I? Will I still care about it in five years?
- Am I confident I have the skills to do it?
- How scalable is this business idea?
After answering these, I chose the idea I loved most—one that matched my skills and ignited my passion.
Step 5: How to Validate a Business Idea Before Starting
Test Before You Fully Commit
Choosing an idea is just the beginning. The next step is to validate it.
In 2012, my co-founder and I launched our first business. We were excited. But after one year and three months, the business failed. It hurt. But I learned more from that failure than I ever learned from any book.
My Second Attempt: I didn’t give up. In 2014, I restarted the business alone, under a new name: Wardoh Books. But this time, I did things differently. Before launching, I studied:
- Market size: How many potential customers exist?
- Target customers: Who exactly am I serving?
- Competitors: Who else is doing this?
- SWOT analysis: My strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Simple Ways to Validate Your Idea:
- Talk to potential customers: Will they actually buy it?
- Create an MVP: Start with a “Minimum Viable Product.”
- Test the market: Sell to a few people first.
Final Thoughts: You Already Have What You Need
Choosing the right business idea doesn’t require genius or luck. It requires honesty, reflection, and a willingness to try.
Look at your skills. Notice the problems around you. Focus on lasting needs. And most importantly, test your idea in the real world.
You might fail, like I did. But you’ll learn. And eventually, you’ll find the business idea that’s right for you.
It’s now 2:30 a.m., and Hulury is still here with me. I hope this article helps you on your journey, no matter what time you’re reading it.
Good luck. You’ve got this.
