Yesterday I had a great conversation with a dear friend about how she is ready to step out on faith and move towards opening her business. I was so excited to hear that she was ready to start because she has shared that she has had this passion since grade school. However, as we began to discuss what her next steps were she was giving herself a deadline to the end of summer for brainstorming. I feel like this is a lot of time to squander for brainstorming. Well, let me put it this way, if I were passionate about something like starting a business, it wouldn’t take me 3 months for the initial brainstorming. So, I shared with her how to break it down and brainstorm in a timely manner and get moving on her business:
1. Get a trusty notebook
... and highlighter. Here is a picture of ONE of my brainstorming notebooks. I take it EVERYWHERE (as you can tell) because I never know when I am going to get a brilliant idea. I have an Ipad as well, but there's something about the good ol' fashioned pen to paper that is convenient and gets a lot of creative juices flowing. Now, that works for me. Find what works for best for you and USE IT! You may have a better memory than me :) and can remember things easier. You may enjoy typing or using a stylus better. But whatever it is, use it and have it with you at all times. EVEN when you sleep! You never know, you may come up with great ideas while you are dreaming! Have that notebook/Ipad/journal handy to record those things immediately. You can ask my husband how many times I wake up in the middle of the night to write stuff down (of course he doesn't like it) but it's what I have to do to get the information down fresh. So get a trusty notebook.
2. Research your target market
This may take you a little more time than jotting ideas down but it's very key to your success. The web defines a target market as a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandise. If you research and discover there isn't much need for your business, you may have to revamp your services or think of some other ideas. However, you may find that there’s at tremendous need for your business in a certain market or industry. Therefore, you will know to move forward with your plans. Research by calling certain businesses or people you know and conducting surveys that will give you direct answers.
3. Find out what others are doing
After you find out who needs your services research companies that are in the same industry look at their pricing, website setup, which market they are trying to capture and make yourself a competitor. You want to be better than everyone else so how can you set your business up to be better? Feel free to even call companies and ask them questions as a “potential client”. Check out their customer service and what they offer and strive to be better.
4. Plan as far as your mind will take you
If the industry you plan on going into has potential for franchising or to become a corporation make your plan up to that point. Come up with your company name, your corporation name, and your franchise name. Come up with how the company would operate as you expand. Are you starting with partners or will they come later? Are you going to start with a blog and move to a website? Are you going to eventually have employees, etc? All of these things need to be a factor in your brainstorming. Always have a plan so you know where your business is heading.
5. FINALLY, Answer these 2 questions:
Why are you going into business?
Why would someone want to do business with you?
I consider myself a go- getter. When I am passionate about something, I cannot rest until it is in fruition. That is what I expect from the people I work with. No need to give yourself a year or two to get your business off the ground if you are working day and night. No, everything won’t be figured out by the time you open your doors but life is about learning lessons. Pricing, customer service, invoicing, etc. may be trial and error. The key is to start getting customers through the door. Otherwise, who knows if you’ll ever start your business? If you wait too long you may lose your steam and your business idea may fade away. So, start brainstorming today and get started tomorrow!
Tamara Garrison-Thomas
Comments
thank you so much,i've done all these things as i continue to grow as a #BBWO, 1LOVE, tatia, #brainstorming all the time now,with books and notepads all the time,,smiling,