The Glider Method ™ Planning Worksheet

Are you having trouble deciding which business to start?

I might have a condition but I can't help but see everyday things through the lense of the businesses that make them possible. I'm always wondering if there is an opportunity to invent, improve, or introduce to new markets a product or service that meets an untapped demand.

I keep a notebook with me at all times so I can jot down business ideas as they come to me. Over years of doing this, I've captured hundreds of potential opportunities. While many aspiring entrepreneurs struggle with coming up with one opportunity to pursue, I struggle to narrow it down to a few.

How do I choose which opportunity to pursue?

I was at flight lessons with my youngest son and we were pushing the glider onto the runway. As I was thinking about -- you guessed it -- business, the answer struck me and I put it into what I call The Glider Method™.

There is scarcely a better metaphor for a solo entrepreneur, a single founder or a small business owner than flying a glider. When it comes to ownership and operation, even small engine powered planes are reserved for the well-to-do as they require lots of money to buy, house and maintain. The startup costs are significantly less and affordable enough to own and operate alone. However, due to the lack of an engine, a glider takes considerable skill and saavy to keep in the air!

Flight, especially in a glider, requires the right forces and appropriate conditions to get off the ground and stay aloft. I designed The Glider Method™ based on the forces of flight. It's a framework for performing a "flight check" to quickly determine the readiness of a business idea for take-off and includes a scoring mechanism to evaluate how it stacks up against other opportunities.

The Glider Method™ provides a score sheet for key questions across several vital metrics, such as:

How available are customers that are spending money on offerings like mine?

And, some important questions that many entrepreneurs fail to consider but can make the difference between soaring and crashing and burning like:

How likely will I want to continue this venture?

Whether evaluating if a business venture is go / no-go or narrowing down opportunities to my best option, The Glider Method™ has helped me evaluate business ideas fast! 

I'm confident it will help you too. So, let's get started.