Many small businesses fail not because the owner is lazy but because they chose a product that was hard to get, hard to deliver or that few people wanted at that price. Choosing well at the start saves you money and stress. It is also the first question any employer or support programme will ask about your business: why this product?
Four tests for a product
Before you commit, check your idea against four tests.
- Do you know it? You understand the product, can explain it and can tell good quality from bad. Shea butter, dawadawa, smocks, baskets, rice, groundnuts and phone accessories are things many northern sellers already know well.
- Can you get it reliably? You have a dependable source, at a steady quality, in the quantities you need.
- Can you deliver it? It travels without breaking or spoiling, and the delivery cost does not swallow your profit. Heavy, fragile or quick to spoil items are harder to sell far away.
- Will people pay enough? There are buyers who want it, and the price they will pay covers your costs and leaves something for you.
A product that passes all four is a good candidate. One that fails a test is not always wrong, but you need a plan for that weakness.
Test small before you spend big
The safest way to learn whether people will buy is to try selling a small batch. Buy or make only a little, show it to people, and see what happens. Did people ask the price? Did they actually pay? Did anyone come back for more? Real orders tell you more than compliments.