All great businesses start with a single idea – a lightbulb moment which is turned into success through hard work and commitment. You may think that it is only certain types of people who are capable of having these incredible moments of inspiration, but the truth is that anyone can. To give you a nudge in the right direction, we are going to give you a few pointers to help you out with the ideas phase of setting up a business.
Start Writing
Writing things down is the best way to get them out of your head so that you can assess the ideas properly. Start off by writing out a list of some of the things you are good at, as well as your greatest passions in life. Next, write down a few of the things that you don’t like doing or the ones which you are not so good at. Continue by writing down a few possible product or services which would enhance your life right now. Don’t think about viability right now, this is only the ideas phase. Follow this up by writing down why you would like to start a business. Hopefully, you should be starting to get a bit of direction to your thoughts, as well as assessing the strengths and weaknesses which you currently possess.
Explore and Network
Inspiration can come from anywhere – you just need to take the time to find it. Whenever you are going to use the services of a business, think about what they do well and whether there is anything which could be improved upon. Speak to people and find what their frustrations are in daily life and whether you can think about any business concepts which would address their issues. Take time out from technology as this can be a constant distraction. Sometimes, you need to allow yourself to become bored for the creative juices to start flowing.
Research Other Businesses
It can give you a major push in the right direction to find out how other businesses started. Find out where their ‘lightbulb moments’ came from in the first place. As well as the areas which you are interested in, you should also check out some which you had never really thought about before. And why not check out some current entrepreneurial trends such as the business side of a dispensary? You may potentially be able to get involved in a business which is currently on the ground floor.
You never really know where business ideas could come from, but you need to be open to having them in the first place. It is worth keeping a notepad with you at all times so that you can write down any moments of inspiration that you have. When you are in this initial ideas phases, there is no point being too selective. Over time, you can always refine the concepts that you have into something which is more workable.