Starting a small business can be a bit of hit and miss affair with assumptions being made left, right and centre. This five point guide can be used to to help you decide which of the many business ideas you may have to take forward.

I'd like you to try and score each of your ideas from 1 to 10 (with ten being the highest/best) against the questions. You might find it helpful to make some notes as you go along that you can refer back to.

When you have finished simply add up your scores and the highest will be the idea that seems to have the best potential for you at the moment. However, it's important to remember that whilst you do need to be realistic, it's impossible to be absolutely accurate at this stage, so don’t completely abandon any idea just yet!

1. How compatible is your idea with the time you have available? Are you already working? Do you have young children or elderly relatives to care for? It may be that you only need an hour or two each week but it could be much more, especially if you are making your own products. Don't forget to factor in time spent on marketing, admin and advertising, it is surprising how long these take, especially in the first few months.

So, think about how much time each of your ideas will need to a) get going and b) maintain; when you have that in mind take a look at your current commitments and decide whether the two are mutually compatible.

2. Do you have sufficient resources to cover start-up costs? Do you need to rent an office or workshop or can you work from home? Do you need to purchase materials or stock? Will you need staff or is this a one person band?

3. How much do you think you need to earn each month to cover the ongoing costs and provide a reasonable salary for you? It might help to write down how much you intend to charge for your products or services and then how much you think it might cost YOU to provide them.

4. Does your idea satisfy a known need? Why not ask friends, family and colleagues whether they would pay for the product or service you're offering. You could even do some market research and spend a day or two in town asking people in the street. If you are planning to offer your service or product to other businesses, why not call a few up to see if they would buy from you?

5. Does your idea have a limited shelf life? It is a fact of life that things change and some businesses that thrived just a few years ago are now finding they have less demand because of changes in technology. An example might be the photo print shop. Will your idea be affected by technology in the same way? Is your idea tied to a specific event (eg 2012)?

Once you have answered all the questions, you should have a reasonable idea about which business area might be the best for you to focus your attention on, after all, you want to enjoy what you do and not feel pressured by it.