Idea Formation

We set this week to learning a few methods on how to generate ideas for business.

The question we are addressing is how we can come up with ideas that have the potential to unearth great business opportunities; opportunities that in turn will lead to the creation of sustainable and profitable businesses and organizations.

Most great entrepreneurs have asked themselves this question and have come up with answers both expected and unexpected but in the end they have gone ahead to create myriad businesses, business solutions, products, programs, written books and started revolutions because they put in the work to answer the “ideation” question.

I have heard, I have read and I have practiced it to some extent… the art of ideation; the art of forming “Ideation Questions”, the discipline of engaging your senses; engaging the environment around you to come up with something out of the ordinary.

My partner and I have some capital available. We want to start a sustainable business that can generate profits.

So the first thing we do is seek God’s guidance, being Christians. We realize that God helps us, besides He is the author of creation; that is what we believe. He created us, He created the world, He set the starts in place and there is great order in all that yet there is a synergy that ensures everything works well.

The process has started; we ask people questions to find out what other guys think is currently a good thing to invest in. We get good ideas but it’s what everybody else is doing

So we embark on a process to brainstorm between us. This does not do much good either, it seems we are limited.

So I tried a different approach:

From gathered knowledge it is good to engage with yourself, engage with the environment you operate in. Then combine the two together, play around with mixed ideas, look at the problems people are going through…what can be done to solve this problem?

It was spontaneous; I was listening to two men talk about their plans.

This made me realize that I could take bus rides just to listen to people talk…engage the environment.

Half way through my ride I decided to go to a shopping mall just to walk about, perhaps I could get an idea. I did

I walked into this shop saw the arrangement…I liked the way they dispense their products. I got a business idea right then

I looked at their products, having this alternative to one of the major products people consume when they go out for things like dates. Looking at the label I got a few more ideas. I think from this one shelf I got three interlinked ideas.

As I walked to the office from the mall, I prayed to God to show me what I ought to do. He is the one who gives us Skill, Ability and Knowledge

Look at your SHAPE…Skills, Hobbies, Abilities, Passion and Education, what am I passionate about, what do I love doing, what I learned in school or what has life taught me.

I came up with another technology idea after that process.

By the time I got to the office I had a multibillion dollar business idea all linked from the first one.

The next thing I ought to do…Write it down fast…before it disappears. And then do some background checks and desk top research and environmental scanning and come up with a viable business proposal.