Validate a business idea
Ask before you sign the lease.
Most idea validation is either biased or in the wrong place — you ask friends, or post in a forum full of people nowhere near your site. The cheapest useful signal is asking the specific people who would be near the thing: would they come, how often, what would make them.
Ortwort lets you draw the area around a location you're considering and put one question to the people inside it.
A lease is a big bet to place on a hunch
A physical business commits you to a spot for years. The question that matters most — do enough people around here actually want this?— usually gets answered by opening and finding out, which is the most expensive possible way to run the test.
Asking the neighbourhood first won't give you a guarantee. It will tell you whether the interest is obviously there, obviously not, or somewhere in between that's worth digging into. That's enough to kill a weak idea cheaply, or to walk into a lease negotiation knowing something concrete.
Ortwort gives you indicative local sentiment, not a forecast. Pair it with footfall counts, competitor observation and your own budget before you decide.
How it works
A first survey takes a couple of minutes to set up.
- 1
Write the question you actually need answered
“Would you visit X here?”, “how often?”, “what would you pay?” Single or multiple choice, a 1–5 scale, a rating, a number, or short text.
- 2
Draw the area around your site
A radius around the corner, unit or building you're weighing up — a 400 m circle is a reasonable start for a walk-in business. Only people inside it can answer.
- 3
Collect responses from people who'd be nearby
They find the survey on ortwort, or through a link or QR you put up locally. Their device confirms they're inside the area — no account required.
- 4
Read the signal
Live percentages as answers arrive. A thinly-answered area stays hidden until enough people respond. Export the detail as CSV, JSON or PDF on Pro.
Ideas people test this way
A café or restaurant on a specific corner
Would people nearby come, and would it be a weekly habit or a one-off.
A gym, studio or clinic in a residential area
Enough local demand to fill classes or appointment slots?
A retail or pop-up unit
Test whether the street wants what you'd sell before committing to the space.
A local service — repairs, tutoring, dog-walking
Ask a neighbourhood directly whether they'd use it, and how often.
Frequently asked questions
How do I validate demand for a local business?+
Define the area your business would serve, ask the people in it a direct question about whether and how often they'd use it, and look at the pattern in the answers. It's a fast, cheap first check before spending on a lease or fit-out.
Isn't asking people unreliable — they say one thing and do another?+
Stated intent overstates real behaviour, which is why this is a signal, not a forecast. It's most useful at the extremes: clear disinterest is a real warning, and strong interest tells you where to look harder. Read it alongside footfall and competitor data.
How small an area can I target?+
As small as a tight radius around a single junction. Very small areas fill slowly, though — you're trading reach for precision. The terms also prohibit drawing an area so small it identifies a single household.
What should I ask?+
One concrete question about behaviour beats several vague ones. “Would you visit at least once a week?” is more useful than “do you like the idea?” Three questions are included if you want a little more.
Is it free to try?+
Yes. A new account comes with a starting credit balance, and a survey of up to 3 single- or multiple-choice questions with public results is free to publish in any area. A more detailed survey — more questions, or a question type like a scale or free text — uses credits sold in one-off packs.
Test the idea before it tests your bank balance
Free to start. Draw the area around your site, ask one question, and see what the neighbourhood says.