When a good idea turns into a goldmine

OK, so your business idea is taking up more and more of your time, requires record keeping, formal accounting and strategic marketing.

You need to decide on your business's structure, create a business name, choose staff and market your idea. Thinking about these early in the planning stages will help make your business viable to encourage its survival and growth.

Make your business grow

The Creative Business Toolbox provides you with the information and resources you need to take your business to the next level. You'll find out how to:

• create a business plan
• manage your intellectual property
• market your idea
• commercialise your idea

and much more.

Take the next step

It's not clear when the start-up stage actually begins. Ideas2Market, a Queensland Government resource, defines start-up as 'beginning when a feasibility study and initial financing suggests that the new idea, or proposed service, needs to move to a more advanced stage of development'.

If you're at the start-up stage, you need to think about taking steps to ensure your business's continued success. Consider the following.

• Get feedback on your business with the Business Readiness Diagnostic.
• Take the Feasibility Questionnaire to find out if your business, or idea, is viable.
• Create your business plan.
• Select staff who will complement your business and work hard to achieve your business goals.
• Finance the growth of your business.
• Set up a marketing strategy to promote your business.

The Business Resource Centre can provide detailed business planning and information packages (PlanSMART Kit), which are tailored specifically to your business type and location. A PlanSMART Kit can help you assess the viability of your business idea.