Before You Invest: 5 Questions Every Opportunity Study Must Answer
Many projects fail not because the idea is weak but because the right questions were never asked. These five protect your capital.
1. Who buys, and why?
Define the customer precisely, the problem you solve and what they pay today to solve it. If there is no numeric answer, the opportunity is not ripe.
2. What is the reachable market?
Not the total market, but the share you can actually serve within three years with your resources and channels.
3. What keeps competitors out?
A licence, an exclusive relationship, a location, technology or operating efficiency — you need at least one clear barrier.
4. What does day-one operations look like?
Team, suppliers, systems and cash flow for the first six months. A study that stops at annual figures is not enough.
5. What is the exit or expansion scenario?
Can the project be replicated in another city? Is it attractive to a partner or acquirer? The answer shapes the investment structure from day one.
