- The goal
- Paying customersnot likes, compliments or survey answers
- What it costs
- Little or nothingfree tools and small batches
- The proof
- Money changing handssales, deposits and repeat orders
No customers, no income. Most new business owners research their idea online: they read articles, look at competitors and ask friends what they think. That's a start, but it can't tell you the one thing that matters: will people pay you, again and again? Online research shows a market exists. Only real customers show it exists for you.
So test your idea in the real world before you register a company, buy stock, sign a lease or borrow money.
In short: find people who will pay you before you spend. Talk to real customers, make a simple offer with free tools, sell a small batch and track every sale. Then decide: go, change or stop.
1. Why online research isn't enough
- People are polite. Friends and family say "great idea", then don't buy.
- Surveys measure opinions, not wallets. "Would you buy this?" is not the same as "here's R150".
- Funders want proof too. NEF asks for "letters of intent, contracts and orders on hand" in your business plan, and the IDC says sales forecasts "based purely on verbal agreements will be significantly discounted".
2. Test your idea in eight practical steps
Write your idea in one sentence
"I help [who] solve [problem] by selling [what] for about R[price]." If you can't fill in every gap, you're not ready to test yet.
Talk to 10 to 20 people who would buy
Go where your customers are: the market, the taxi rank, the salon, the school gate, the office park or local WhatsApp groups. Ask what they use now, what they pay and what frustrates them. Don't ask "would you buy this?", because people say yes to be kind. Write down their exact words. A short Google Forms survey can help, but face-to-face conversations tell you more.
Make a simple offer, for free
Canva's free plan has templates for a logo, a price list, flyers and business cards. Set up a free WhatsApp Business profile with a catalogue and quick replies. Make one clear offer: what you sell, the price, how to order and how to pay.
Make your first sales
Sell a small batch, or offer your service to a few customers first. Take pre-orders with a deposit before you buy stock. Sell where people already are: your network, a market day or a pop-up at a busy spot, with the right permit (see staying legal below). Price for a profit from day one: the break-even calculator shows how many sales you need.
Quote and invoice properly
Use Canva's free quotation and invoice templates, so you look professional from the first sale. See what an invoice should show and how to take payments, including payment links you can send on WhatsApp.
Track every sale
Keep a simple sheet in Google Sheets or Canva Sheets: the date, the customer, what they bought, the price, your cost, your profit, how they found you and whether they came back.
Ask for feedback and referrals
After each sale, ask what they liked, what you should change, and who else they know who would buy. Happy customers are your best marketing.
Decide: go, change or stop
Look at your sheet after a few weeks of real selling, and be honest with yourself.
| Go | Change | Stop |
|---|---|---|
| Customers pay without being pushed, come back and send their friends, and each sale makes a profit after costs. | People are interested but don't buy. Change one thing at a time: the price, the product, the place or the message. Then test again. | Nobody pays after a real effort. You've saved yourself the cost of registering, stock and loans, and you can try your next idea. |
3. Keep your costs low while you test
- Use free tools: Canva's free plan, WhatsApp Business, a free Google Business Profile and Google Sheets.
- Buy stock for one small batch, not a bulk order.
- Borrow or rent equipment before you buy it.
- Don't sign a lease, print in bulk or borrow money until customers are paying.
- Only spend what you can afford to lose. SARS lists a lack of funds as a common cause of failure for sole proprietors, so protect your cash.
4. Stay legal while you test
- You don't need a company to start. SARS says a sole trader, including an informal business, has no requirement to register with CIPC.
- You do need SARS. SARS expects you to:
- register as a taxpayer as soon as you start a business
- declare your business income on your personal tax return (ITR12), even if you earn very little
- register for provisional tax, as individuals with business income must. That means paying your income tax in two instalments during the year.
- Selling in public places needs a permit. Johannesburg says every informal trader needs a permit, including at special events, and Cape Town requires one for trading in public spaces. Check with your municipality before you trade at a market, on a pavement or at an event.
- Selling food needs a Certificate of Acceptability from your municipality's Environmental Health office. This covers stalls, vehicles and home kitchens: the rules only exempt food that isn't sold. Johannesburg and Cape Town issue the certificate free. Selling meals or perishable food can also need a business licence, although meals made and sold in a private home don't need one.
- Some services need a health certificate. Some municipalities require one for hair, beauty and similar services, so ask your municipality's Environmental Health office.
About your Canva logo: a logo made from a Canva template is perfect for testing, but you can't register it as a trademark, because anyone can use the same template. Canva says so itself. Once your idea is proven, get an original logo before you spend money on signage and branding.
5. When it's working: your next steps
Paying customers, repeat orders and a profit on each sale? Now it's worth investing.
- Register your business. A company costs R125 on BizPortal, or R175 with a name. Some customers and funders will only deal with a registered business.
- Write a simple business plan using your real sales as proof.
- Get funding only when you know how you'll repay it from sales.
- Get on Google so more customers can find you.
Your test-your-idea checklist
- Write your idea in one sentence
- Talk to 10 to 20 potential customers face to face
- Make a free logo, price list and flyer in Canva
- Set up WhatsApp Business with a catalogue
- Sell a small batch, or take pre-orders with a deposit
- Quote and invoice properly
- Track every sale in a simple sheet
- Register with SARS, and check permits for where and what you sell
- Decide: go, change or stop
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register a company before I start selling?
No. SARS says a sole trader, including an informal business, has no requirement to register with CIPC. But you do need to register with SARS as a taxpayer and declare your business income on your personal tax return.
How many people should I talk to before I start?
As a rule of thumb, aim for 10 to 20 conversations with people who would actually buy. Then go further than talking: sell a small batch or take pre-orders, because paying customers are the real test.
Can I use a Canva logo for my business?
Yes, while you test. But logos made from Canva templates are non-exclusive, so you can’t register them as a trademark. Get an original logo before you invest in signage and branding.
Do I need a permit to sell at a market or on the street?
In most cities, yes. Johannesburg says every informal trader needs a permit, including at special events, and Cape Town requires one for public spaces. Selling food also needs a Certificate of Acceptability from your municipality.
Do I pay tax while I’m testing my idea?
You must declare your business income on your tax return. No income tax is payable if your taxable income is below R99,000 (under 65, for 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027), but you still need to register with SARS and file.
What if people like my idea but don’t buy?
Liking isn’t buying. Change one thing, such as the price, the product, where you sell or how you describe it, and test again.
How do I know my idea is working?
Customers pay without being pushed, come back and send their friends, and each sale makes a profit after your costs.
This guide is general information. Tax, permit and licence rules were checked against SARS, City of Johannesburg, City of Cape Town and Department of Health sources, and Canva’s own licence pages, on 15 October 2026. Rules differ between municipalities, so check with yours before you trade. For advice on your situation, ask J29 or speak to an accountant.
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