I have an idea

I’m great with ideas, truly. Just a year ago I wrote a blog post What Elaine nearly did next charting the ideas I had around the time I set up Web Content Partners.

The ideas won’t go away and so I’m going to start what I imagine to be the slow road to researching an evaluating another business idea I have – in my ‘spare time’.

I would like to chart this progress in a blog series and write pieces based on crowdsourced research (or just, well, research) on how to best progress with a start-up.

My first question is. What are the first steps someone with a business idea in Ireland should take?

My first steps

I got the idea in about June 2012 and decided in February 2013, I should act on it. I got an employee to do some initial research and have sounded the idea out to a number of business acquaintances over the last few months, the majority of whom really liked it.

I initially contacted Enterprise Ireland (EI), as I figured the business would be a better fit than talking to Wexford County Enterprise Board.

I contacted my local EI office and submitted a business proposition document.

In response, I was directed to the South East Business Innovation Centre (SEBIC) to assist me to develop the concept and understanding of the market. I was told the project is at a very early stage of development and it’s too early to decide whether you will be an EI or Wexford CEB client.

I met with SEBIC in April and have yet to return to them to flesh out the idea more.

What do you recommend?

So I am posing the question to existing business owners, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship academics and researchers, mentors and business advisors.

What are the first steps someone with a business idea in Ireland should take?

Please add your response in a comment or email ihaveanidea@webcontent.ie to share your suggestions, which I will put into a follow up article.

I plan to run a series of articles and blog posts simplifying how to start up a business. I welcome input from everybody and anybody including suggestions and requests for topics to be covered and simplified.