At first all new businesses start of as an idea. How do you turn this idea into a profitable opportunity? When the idea grips you so much, that you wake up in the middle of the night and hurriedly scribble down some notes, what do you do next? Some of the best business ideas I have had have come at night but usually they are so bold that most of them end up in the "ideas box".

What is the procedure to follow when a revelation occurs usually late Friday night, early Saturday morning?

Business Idea?

Now that you have an idea for a new business, how realistic is it? Does it still sound interesting in the cold light of the day? Does it fit into your lifestyle? Can you dedicate the time and effort required to do the next step...

Opportunity Planning?

Now that you have decided to take your business idea to the next level, break down each stage into manageable chunks. To turn your idea into a profitable opportunity, create a plan for each "chunk" and allocate time and resources to it. Your plan doesn't have to be extremely complicated. You can deal with hurdles as they arise. This now leads to...

Action

Set a deadline for each section and congratulate yourself every time a milestone is reached in the new business. Acting on your plans makes them more real and each time you achieve a part of your plan, it will make you stronger for the next step. This takes us to the next step...

Culmination

When you have taken an idea from just a thought, to planning, then action and eventually to business success, you have to take a step back and think about why you started it in the first place. Take some time off and recognise your achievement. Make sure that you celebrate your success... don't miss out on the fun!

Summary

It is not good enough to have a good business idea if you never take it to the planning stage. Once you have written down the road map, then you have to act on it. Once you achieve your business goals in your new opportunity, then surely you must give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate.

Looking at the above model, business idea... opportunity planning... action... culmination, which area are you strong in and which part tends to let you down? Now is the time to get the right person to help you in the area you are weakest!