In my last blog, I wrote a lot about inspiration and ideas, indeed I think we decided you were setting up a Yoga studio!? I jest, but such fluid thought is really important and that’s what the process of “Brainstorming” is all about.
Though I’m “kind of” pulling together a good few of the points I wrote about over the last few weeks, I’m imagining you’re sitting quietly in your favorite coffee shop, pen and paper in hand, poised to scribble business ideas as fast as your fingers can scribble.
You’ve read what I’ve said about a stamp collector dealing in stamps or your need to spend more time home building so looking to set up a business from home, but importantly I urge you to just write any idea that comes to mind. I mean it! Anything, don’t let your hang-ups hold your pen back, don’t let your want for the right language constrict your notes or your need for political correctness, correct your notes for want of being criticized – just order your favorite beverage and let fly…
Now, I’m hoping that you’ve smiled to yourself as you’ve scribbled ideas and some really daft stuff too! Imagine your love of dogs leading to the development of non toxic, dog friendly false eyelashes for dogs – oh, wait a minute what abut cats!? Or a special cat flap or perhaps a wireless key for the front door so your Dad doesn’t get locked out again! Now that could work…
Well you get the idea. So, there you have a great list of ideas and concepts, some of which it is true will be nonsense, but critically who cares! Really, who cares. Now though your next task is to think more seriously about that list, perhaps applying your own rules of ethics or your need to work from home or any other important factor as these rules will immediately eliminate one, two or perhaps several of your ideas. But keep thinking and fine tuning, slowly moving the ideas forward and eliminating the ones that make you smile but clearly have no commercial value.
Keep playing with the list, think about your ability to provide such a service or sell such a product. How much would you have to put up to hold stock, how easy would it be to copy your idea, how many other companies already offer the same? Is there a unique idea that could be established on a limited budget?
Until next time…
