How do you know if your startup idea already exists?

It doesn’t matter how your business idea is gorgeous , if the market is not ready for it, or niche is full - you will not get any profit, at least not now. To check idea on the "strength" we must give it to the public.

The first way is to try out the idea “offline” . One of the most effective offline methods is pitchingideas.The essence of pitching - to tell all the features of your idea during2 -5 minutes. The benefits of this method are: experts give you advices; the audience is involved in the discussion; you can find potential investors for your business; you will get community support and find like-minded people. For example, Pitch NYC (http://pitch-nyc.com/), Flash Pitch, (https://www.flashpitch.nyc/) The Biggest Startup Pitch event in the USA – start up pitches for Expert DOJO Member (https://expertdojo.com/events/...and good article from Forbes7 Startup Competitions You Need To Know (http://www.forbes.com/sites/il...

The second way, of course, to try out the idea “online”. Probably the most effective method to identify opportunities online - to use crowdfunding platforms and B2B, B2C marketplaces for your business ideas.

1. Crowdfunding. The great thing about this process is that you are forced to go with your idea "to people" much earlier than usual. At the same time you are getting feedback and can correct your project much faster. It is very useful for early stage startups, because it can save entrepreneur’s time in the future and money that he could spend on the "Debug" project. The feedback in the process of crowdfunding can help to understand if the campaign will be successful, or unsuccessful. Examples: Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/), Crowdfunding for Small Businesses (https://www.fundable.com/), and recommendations from Forbes Top Crowdfunding Sites For Fundraising (http://www.forbes.com/sites/ch...

2. B2B, B2C marketplaces.-The presence of members in the form of "internet community" allows to share information among all market participants. -Online reviews and ratings can be good feedback tools of risk management for companies. -Easy selection of proposals, the speed of decision-making, the way of communication via electronic channels help simplify communication.For example, one which can be usefull for small- and midsize companies - Opporty (https://opporty.com/). Its B2B and B2C approaches help gain a strong foothold on the local market, appealing to local customers in the specific niche. Or if you want to compete with large and stable companies you can try large platforms, such as Magento (https://magento.com/). The combination of these methods will help you to create a complete picture of "readiness" the ideas for implement.

Google, patents search etc..