Almost half a million Americans started their own business each month in 2015. So can you. It takes hard work and commitment, but these numbers prove you can do it too.

Do you wonder if your dream for a startup has legs? Here are three ways to mentally test the potential.

What Does Your Startup Improve Upon?

What change will your startup bring to the marketplace? Look for the gaps in what is currently out there. What do people complain about? What isn’t working for a majority of your friends? There is where you will find a strong beginning concept for your startup.

It could be an app that streamlines product delivery or communication. Tap into a need and fill it. For example, Hampton Creek, one of the biggest food startups in the U.S., is based on the idea of making healthy food easily available and affordable.

What Are You Good At?

What are your talents? Where do you have experience? What are your passions? Run with them! For example, a person who loves hiking and triathlons, and majored in exercise physiology is a natural for a fitness startup.

What about building better training equipment? Or developing an app that makes it easier for weekend athletes to track fitness metrics?

Who Is Your Team?

Most people with a startup idea quickly realize they need a team. But just anyone won’t do. You need to find others that share your vision. The right team will feed your passion and keep the momentum growing.

Sharing a common goal doesn’t mean everyone thinks the same. Quite the contrary. The best staff has a mix of ideas, training and backgrounds. They spark each other’s ideas and help discover new approaches to obstacles.

An idea for a startup is just the first step. Refine it, find others to support it and work on it with you. You’re at the first step of something big!