Your market must have the ability and willingness to pay. And some people and groups are markedly bad markets. Let's take a look at 3 examples.
For example, if your idea is to offer services to non-profits (let's say grant-writing), you might as well give up now. That is because most non-profits have neither the ability (they have no money) nor the willingness (because they are cheap and short-sighted) to pay, even though technically it would improve their organization. If your goal is to sell some video-game service to kids, think again. While they may have the willingness to pay, they generally don't have the ability. And the CLASSIC CLASSIC bad idea is, Let me sell to mom and pop shops/restaurants/businesses and help them create a website/do marketing/etc. While local businesses have the ABILITY to pay, they don't have a willingness to pay, mostly because small-business people are often treading water and, in the words of a coffee-shop owner where I write, too busy to do marketing. Yes, it's irrational and dumb, but it's TRUE. Do not pursue markets where people are not willing and able to pay you.
