Chapter 2 Generating a Great Business Idea In This Chapter Developing great ideas Brainstorming alone or in a group Deciding which ideas are worth pursuing Putting your ideas through a reality check | Chapter 2 Generating a Great Business Idea In This Chapter Developing great ideas Brainstorming alone or in a group Deciding which ideas are worth pursuing Putting your ideas through a reality check yBj riting a business plan is one of the most important steps in moving a new business venture into reality but it isn t the first step. The first step is generating a great business idea. Maybe you already have an idea that you re planning to move from concept to reality. Or maybe your idea is almost there but you re not quite certain whether or not you re heading in the right direction. Or maybe you re still struggling to find a venture that matches your interests and abilities with a product or service solid enough to make it in the big cold business world. Count on the following pages to fuel your idea-generating process with tips and tools for taking stock of your personal resources asking others for advice brainstorming ideas alone or in a group putting your possibilities through a make-it-or-break-it reality check and finally weighing the likelihood that investors customers and colleagues will want to buy into your business proposition. Brainstorming Business Ideas From technologies to careers to personal tastes the world is moving faster than it s ever moved before. The pace of change can be dizzying for sure and it brings with it plenty of uncertainty and risk. But all that change also leads to big opportunities for visionaries who can foresee market wants and needs and respond with precisely matched product and service solutions. 26 Part I Laying the Foundation for Your Plan The next time you catch yourself saying Why didn t I think of that or How in the world did they come up with that idea stop and realize that although great ideas may look lucky or random when you look a little closer you re likely to find that considerable time and effort went into making them happen. To count yourself among the successful innovators start with a brainstorm. The following
