3 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before You Start a Business
July 31, 2025
I’ve seen many businesses launch. Some worked, some didn’t. One thing I’ve learned. If you don’t ask yourself the right questions up front, you’re basically winging it with your money, time, and energy. These are the three questions I wish more people would ask before they jumped in.
1.Are you really ready to give this your time, consistently?
Starting a business doesn’t just ask for your attention, it demands it. Not just in the exciting early moments when your idea feels fresh, but in the everyday grind when you’re building it brick by brick.
You’ll need to invest seriously in things like:
Writing business plans and financial models
Deciding whether you need funding (and how you’d get it)
Creating operating guidelines
Securing the right licenses, permits, and insurance
That’s just the beginning. The deeper you go, the longer the to-do list grows. And unless you’re walking in with a full team, you’re going to be the first employee and the manager.
Depending on the type of business, you might need to handle materials, order supplies, set up vendor accounts, or even build your own website. None of this is impossible, but it does take time. So, ask yourself honestly, do you have the capacity to do this consistently, or are you hoping to squeeze it in between everything else?
2. Why are you starting this business?
Is this something you’ve always been passionate about? Is there a clear need you’re trying to meet? Or are you just chasing an income stream because it sounds like a good idea?
Every entrepreneur wants their business to be profitable and successful but that rarely happens overnight. When the cash flow is slow, when things get frustrating, or when you're questioning your life choices at 11:30pm while fixing your own website, your “why” is the thing that will keep you going.
If your reasons don’t hold up when the money isn’t flowing, it’s not a reason it’s a wish list.
Your heart doesn’t need to be overly sentimental, but it does need to be in it. If you care about what you're building, you’ll be far more likely to give it the time, energy, and grit it requires. Your “why” is what makes the late nights and early mornings feel worth it.
So, get real with yourself. If you stripped away the hope of quick profit, would you still care enough to keep going?
3. Who is your target audience?
You might already have someone in mind, but have you really done the research?
Knowing your target audience isn’t just a check-the-box task. It’s something that will shape how you position yourself, how you market your business, and even how you talk about what you offer.
Ask yourself (or Google):
What’s their age group?
What kind of things do they actually like?
Where do they spend their time and how do you reach them there?
What’s their typical income? Can they afford this product or service?
And most importantly, do they even want it?
Getting a clear understanding of your audience early on helps you spend your time, energy, and money in the right places. If you’re opening a kid’s clothing boutique, you’re not just selling clothes, you’re appealing to the tastes, budgets, and values of the parents buying them. The same applies to any business, your product might be amazing, but if you’re aiming it at the wrong people, it’s not going to land.
Speaking from experience, it’s better to ask yourself these questions before you start a business rather than scrambling for the answers later. You’ll have to figure them out eventually, whether you want to or not. Being proactive protects both your sanity and your bottom line. Figuring this out now makes the path forward much smoother.