Starting a business isn't actually that difficult. If you break a "business" down into its most simple form, it's really just a vehicle for helping people (or other businesses) solve problems they're facing. If you can solve a problem, you have the foundation of a successful business idea—any beginner entrepreneur can learn this process.
Follow these 5 simple steps to start a small business (and make money) with any business idea this year:
Find your future customers and start talking to them: Ask questions, uncover their biggest pain points related to your idea and try out potential solutions with them.
Work with 1 person (or business) to solve a relevant problem: This will prove that your idea has potential, and will give you the opportunity to work in a real-world situation that tests every angle of your solution.
Validate your business idea: Ask that person to pay for your solution (whether it's a service, product, SaaS tool, or otherwise) to make sure you're solving a problem some people are willing to pay for.
Get referrals: Ask if your first paying customer knows anyone else who has similar problems they can introduce you to (referrals are the best way to grow your business at first).
Repeat: Find more potential customers through referrals, social media, blogging, publishing videos on YouTube & TikTok, or otherwise—and keep solving their relevant problems. With time and experience, you'll perfect your solutions and have the opportunity to scale your business.
If your primary motivation is making money (and not solving a legitimate problem for yourself or others), you'll almost certainly lost momentum when the going gets tough… and starting a small business of your own will get challenging. Stay focused on simple steps forward, while solving real problems and you'll be on the right track to learning whether your business idea has real potential, or if it's a learning experience on your journey.