Sometimes life on the wild side, isn’t so wild.

This summer I decided to “invest” in a local community farming program, through which each week I would collect my box of goodies from the local farmer’s market.

I wanted to support this young farmer, Nathan, and treat our family to truly fresh vegetables.  When I collect the box I am always faced with some new vegetable or a friend from the past that I haven’t cooked in a long time – like eggplants.

It’s meant that our meals have become more varied as I experiment with my new produce.  It also means that I’ve taken a few risks, and stepped outside my comfort zone, food-wise.  Take the purple beans.

They were a deep purple and I could visualize them looking so colourful and pretty on the plate, and wondered if they would taste the same as their cousins, green beans.

Guess what, they turn green when they are cooked. Who knew?

It was quite disappointing really – back to the same old, but for the four minutes while they cooked, I thought I’d taken a step on the wild side.

It makes me think of when we step outside our comfort zone within our business and take that small risk, to find out that after all, it was no big deal.  That’s when you wonder why on earth you spent so long debating the issue, when in reality it didn’t make that much of a difference, except maybe in your mind, because you’d conquered another fear.

All of which leads me to think that playing it safe is over-rated and taking a risk is the way to go. After all, you might find, like my purple beans, that in fact it’s all the same, except you’ve crossed a line.  A line that takes you one step closer to realizing your goals.

Testing. Testing. Testing.

How do you know if your new business idea has the wings to take off and soar?

In many ways, you don’t but according to Anastasia Valentine, you can give it a go, but only after you have done your due diligence.

Now for some entrepreneurs who prefer to live on the edge and take a risk without too much thought and effort, this may seem like the kiss of death to creativity.  But she has a point and as she explained, all ideas are valuable, but not all are profitable. 

So before you sink too much money, time and resources into the next brainwave, better to check it out and think it through first.

She compares this “testing” period to a relationship and gave the following advice:

• First you have to socialize/date your idea. 
• Ask yourself will customers buy it and at what price?  
• Test your idea. Pull together ten people you trust who will give you an honest answer, not just humour you.  There’s too much at stake to just have folks give you a complacent nod, without much real thought to what you are suggesting.
• Explain what you want to do.
•  Listen. 
• If after this feedback, you are still in love with the idea, then you are more ready to make a commitment.

Most entrepreneurs, observed Anastasia, have an idea inventory, and when you are looking at growth options, flush out your top three big money-making ideas, and maybe two low cost ideas that have a high return.   Pick one and go for it.