6 Steps to deliver a business you are passionate about
You’re fed up with the rat race. You’re frustrated by your life being in the hands of your employer. You want to be your own boss. I hear you. You’re not alone. Research by Vistaprint shows that 37% of Americans feel the same way, and another 25% would seriously consider it.
The passion to build your own business is there. What’s missing is the workable business ideas. Just how do you come up with those?
How to generate business ideas.
There are three things that you really need to start a business today:
- An idea
- A vison
- Expertise
These three elements are linked. Your vision and expertise can drive your ideas. Here are six steps that will help you generate the business ideas to propel your success.
Step #1: Identify what gives you the most pleasure
You know, if you do something you love – something that you are passionate about – you’re going to be more motivated to succeed. That’s real important as an entrepreneur and businessperson. You’re likely to need to put in some long hours, especially when first starting up. That takes commitment. You don’t get that level of dedication from chasing the next dollar. It comes from being passionate about what you do.
The passion you have for your business will rub off on your employees, too. They’ll be more motivated to go the extra mile. Just like success breeds success, passion breeds passion. Building a business around something you enjoy is much easier than building business around something you loath to do. Of course, it may be the thrill of the sale, or the excitement in building a business that drives your passion.
Step #2: Identify your expertise
Take a piece of paper and write down your strengths. What are you good at? Maybe you a wizard with tech. Perhaps you are great with people. Don’t take too long doing this. These are the things that you know are your strengths. Perhaps your colleagues have commented on them before. Maybe your friends and family ask for your help or advice in a certain area. These are all signs of not only what you consider to be your strong points, but what other people recognize in you, too.
Step #3: Identify your weaknesses
Now, on another piece of paper, note down what you aren’t so good at and what you really don’t enjoy doing.
Perhaps you’re great at creating solutions to problems, but following a process to execute the solution bores you. Maybe you don’t like being among a crowd of people, but you’re comfortable in one-on-one meetings. Again, don’t overthink. Just put pen to paper and get your immediate thoughts down.
Step #4: What are your frustrations?
Now, think about your personal and professional life. What frustrates you most? Pen and paper time, again.
Write down what would help you in your office or place of work. What is it you enjoy, what do you dislike, what would make your working day better?
Now, ask yourself the same question about your personal life. What would make your life better? What would make your life easier?
The chances are that these frustrations you feel are felt by many, many more. You’re fed up with having to travel two or three miles to buy food? I bet people who live near you feel the same way. Do the charges for pizza delivery make your blood boil? Guess what – you’re not the only person on your block who thinks this way.
Step #5: Think about the future
We’re in a very strange place right now. COVID-19 has disrupted our entire way of life. But how might it affect the future? How are we going to be living and working in five or ten years from now? What problems will need to be solved – and can you provide solutions today?
Step #6: Now, disconnect and recharge your creative juices
Sometimes you get so close to a problem that you can’t see the wood for the trees. Creativity and original thought hit you when you least expect it.
Now you’ve spent some time considering your passion, your strengths and weaknesses, and the frustrations that you and others suffer, go disconnect for a while. Go for a walk. Clear you mind. Take yourself away from the problem you are trying to solve – generate workable business ideas.
Business ideas will come to you. Because you have focused your subconscious on the problem. Like when you wake up in the middle of the night with that ‘Eureka!’ moment.
Here’s what I know
The world is full of problems that are begging for solutions. Each of those problems is an opportunity to create a business.
Workable business ideas don’t have to be huge and world-changing. But by working with your expertise and your passion, and identifying the frustrations that exist for you and others, you’ll come up with a winning business idea. Probably several. The ideas that allow you to use your expertise doing something you enjoy, and makes a difference to other people’s lives too. And those are the ideas that will drive your entrepreneurial success.
What are you waiting for? Get that pen and paper set on the desk in front of you. Start noting your likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Write down your biggest frustrations. Then let me know in the comments below. Together, we’ll find the business that will inspire you, motivate your workforce, and enlist enthusiastic customers.