Who in their right mind wouldn’t be lured by the idea of a “quick buck”? Turning a cool idea into cash flow is everyone’s dream…isn’t it? Sure, interesting ideas are sold every single day, but starting a business is something entirely different. Building a business, enterprise, and entrepreneurship isn’t as easy as simply coming up with a clever idea.
Focus on One Idea
When you hone in on an idea good enough to start something potentially monumental, it can be hard to come back to reality. Getting your feet back on solid ground is the first step towards starting a business off right. You might have a bunch of ideas floating around in your head and your thoughts can become clouded by ideas of grandeur. Don’t lose that inspiration! Getting your creative juices flowing is great. However, the first step is to block out all the parts that don’t matter right at this moment in time. Not to mention, it’s very easy to flood your mind with too many ideas which will distract from the creme de la creme just waiting to be utilised.
Focus all of your energy into the one piece of the puzzle that can create a base of operations for all the other inner workings of your project.
What’s more, most great ideas need a little bit of work to become the absolute best versions of themselves. Don’t wait for a great idea to speak to you, it should be the other way around. Find an idea that entices you and work on it for a little while. Find something that you really care about and run with that. If you’re not passionate about it, how can you expect others to be as well? Then, be ready to test this plan every which way. Be ready to poke holes in it and be ready to start over from scratch if you have to.
Test it Out
After you have a clear, singular idea, you’ll need some validation before investing all your efforts and time into your plans. Even if your idea is really really good there is always room for error. The best idea can be executed in the worst way and can quickly crash and burn. You might have to make some sacrifices, like long hours and using your own money, in order to get your business off of the ground. This will be a good test of your confidence in your business. If you don’t think this idea is worth sacrificing for, then drop it and move on.
This means you need to tell others about your idea early on in the process, which can be scary, but you need to know that the idea is practical and people will want a piece of what you’re selling. These are the early stages of marketing. Telling a few people that you trust about your plans is the best way to dip your toe in the water before jumping in head first.
You’re also going to have to take some time to work on your actual idea/product. Usually having an idea isn’t enough in itself. If you want to make your idea into a truly groundbreaking business venture, you need to know that it will work and make you a profit. You’ll need to be fully dedicated to the idea of doing whatever it takes to create a foundation for your product. Use every resource at your disposal and understand that it might not be a lucrative adventure right from the get go. If you really want to give yourself the best start imaginable, start tracking and calculating everything. Track all your findings, all of your tests, anything that you can use to improve your brand down the road. If financing is a concern, look for a 100% project financing program to help you kickstart your business idea without a significant upfront financial burden.
Don’t Rely on a Great Idea
Of course, it’s impossible to know exactly how your idea/product will sell before it’s actually on the market, but if you have landed on something undoubtedly extraordinary, stick with it and make it the perfect product in your eyes. It should be a product that you cannot live without. If the work that you’re doing feels even the least bit unnecessary, then it is.
Many good ideas are launched prematurely and fail because they were half-baked novelty items that don’t add any value to people’s lives. Again, even a great idea cannot survive on its own. It needs your help. Check out your market. You’ll need to know what you’re up against, but don’t let it discourage you. Use it as fuel to make your product as simple, clean, and precise as possible. Once you’ve done that, you have what it takes to turn your idea into a business.
Creating a product that the world needs (and will make you a profit) is no easy task. You’re going to have some scraped knees. You’re going to get knocked over, but you have to be willing to get back up again and try even harder. It is an incredibly daunting task and at times it will feel impossible. Yet, if you have an idea that you just can’t shake, something that gives you a sense of purpose, something that has potential to improve the lives of people around the world – that idea is truly worth exploring.
