Last night during the first session of my Best Laid Business Plan course, we talked a lot about generating ideas. Not just ideas about what kind of business one might want to start, but ideas that will support a new business. Things like what is my competitive advantage, who is my ideal client, in what market should I concentrate, etc.?
These are critical questions to ask yourself when starting a new business. You can’t answer any of them unless you have ideas. Like most people, you might have great ideas, good ideas, not so good ideas and downright bad ideas. Sometimes you might have to sift through a lot of bad or mediocre ideas to get to the good ones. But first, you need a wealth of ideas, so fire up that idea factory!
If you’re stuck and feel like you’re having trouble generating ideas, here are a few ways to get yourself un-stuck:
- exercise: gets your endorphins moving, blood flowing to your brain
- meditation: clears your head allowing new ideas to come in
- get inspired: visit a museum, take a mini vacation, read a great book
- force yourself to write ideas: for 15 minutes, write down every idea that pops into your head; you’ll pop the cork and ideas will come rushing out
Get in the habit of carrying a small notebook and pen with you at all times so you don’t lose out on any of these great ideas.