All Fortunes Begin With an Idea!

A new idea is merely the combination of two or more old ideas. The creation of a new idea is the critical first step in establishing any business.

People who dream of setting up their own business but don't succeed, generally fall into one of three categories:

(1) too few ideas

(2) too many ideas or

(3) waiting for the 'perfect idea'.

Any of these three states of mind may hinder the budding entrepreneur.

'Would be entrepreneurs' with too few ideas.

These individuals typically say "if only I had 'an idea' for a business."

Just remember that if you say you don't have 'an idea' it really means you have 'no-idea'! If this applies to you, you need to get cracking on that 'first idea' fast! As soon as you are able to dream something up, you'll have the essential ingredient that all successful businesses are built upon.

'Would be entrepreneurs' with too many ideas.

Can you ever have 'too many ideas' I hear you say? Well if your creative process leaves you feeling overwhelmed for choice then it's definitely a possibility! Many highly creative people experience inertia in business purely because they have so many ideas. They don't know where to start or which idea to implement first!

If you fall into this category, just pick one of your ideas (it doesn't need to be your best one!) and begin to mentally develop it further. Consider the first key steps you need to take to push your business idea forward. Remember that you don't have to have a 100 page business plan or a fully formed idea before you can start taking action! All you need is a little focus.

'Would be entrepreneurs' waiting for the perfect idea.

This is the equivalent of expecting to know how to swim once you've found the perfect swimming costume.

If you fall into this category, even if you do manage to find the 'perfect idea', ask yourself whether or not you are going to have the right skill base to get it off the ground. Many successful entrepreneurs have failed many times before their 'perfect idea' came along. It is through being prepared to fall down and stand up again that you develop the tenacity required to succeed in business.

Stay Ahead of the Game.

Whatever your circumstances, whether you are in business already or looking to start a business, creating ideas and being innovative will help keep you on top of your game. The way we are doing business globally is changing at such a rapid rate that if you don't consistently innovate, you will soon be out of business.

Cultivate your Innovation skills.

All the entrepreneurs that I have met have been 'possibility thinkers'. By this I mean they keep their minds open to new opportunities and new ways of thinking. The best way for you to cultivate this ability within yourself is to spend time around other creative thinkers. Challenge each other to innovate.

A Simple Idea Creating Exercise.

Two nights ago I had a brainstorming session with a couple of entrepreneurial friends over a meal. We did a little 5 minute exercise where each wrote down as many ideas as they could on how to create a million pounds within a year. The quality of the initial ideas was absolutely irrelevant. What was really valuable was what came afterwards, when each person read out their individual lists and we discussed how these particular ideas could work.

We had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs and generated a couple of really great business ideas (as well as plenty of ordinary ones!), purely by focusing our brains to answer a simple question.

So how many entrepreneurs does it take to change a light bulb?

Well I'm not entirely sure on the answer to that one! But I do know how many ideas it takes to start a business?

Just one.

Damien Senn is a Life and Business Coach as well as a fully qualified Chartered Accountant. He helps professionals, artists and entrepreneurs create compelling futures.

He is the author of the 'Senn-Sational Success Journal' and has developed his own coaching model called the 'Senn-Sational Success System'.

For your free life coaching tool '101 things to do before you die', please click the following link: http://www.senn-sational.com/freeresources.htm

In The News:


The innovation gap is real, all right
ITworld.com, MA - 18 hours ago
by Johna Till Johnson Recently Judy Estrin, former Cisco CTO and current Silicon Valley luminary, published a book called Closing the Innovation Gap. ...

Integrity Block Selected by AlwaysOn as a GoingGreen Top 100 Winner
MarketWatch - 10 hours ago
"We congratulate them for their success in introducing new tools, services, and systems that are driving the next phase of greentech innovation and ...
Naverus Selected by AlwaysOn as a GoingGreen Top 100 Winner Business Wire (press release)
EoPlex Selected by AlwaysOn as a GoingGreen Top 100 Winner MarketWatch
Nordic Windpower Selected as a GoingGreen Top 100 Winner MarketWatch
all 37 news articles

Baker & Daniels Wins "Drive for Innovation" Award with nQueue and ...
The Open Press (press release) - 3 hours ago
“We congratulate them on their success and on their Drive for Innovation award.” nQueue also congratulates its client, Burnham Brown of Oakland California, ...

Art of innovation
The Australian, Australia - 6 hours ago
"MY aim in innovation is not to flood the country with shiny gadgets, but to change the culture". This was the opening line of an important speech by the ...

Competitive Companies, Inc. Signs LOI with Innovation Capital ...
MarketWatch - 13 hours ago
and Innovation Capital Management, Inc. (ICM) parent of DiscoverNet, Inc., said today they have signed a Letter of Intent to merge the two Companies' ...

Innovation is key to plastic industry’s growth
Economic Times, India - 10 hours ago
NEW DELHI: There’s welcome action on the polymers and speciality chemicals front. Reports say that RFCL, which is controlled by ICICI Venture— India’s ...

In Hong Kong, 'New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond'
International Herald Tribune, France - 18 hours ago
Not according to "New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond," an exhibit at the Hong Kong Museum of Art that tracks the evolution from the traditional Chinese ...

Is Cost Containment Impacting Pharmaceutical Innovation?
RedOrbit, TX - 11 hours ago
Consequently, pharmaceutical innovation is likely to suffer in Europe and Japan, partly due to increasing government barriers precluding access to ...

Certpoint Appoints Robert Stewart to Vice President of Technology ...
PR Web (press release), WA - 43 minutes ago
Certpoint today appointed Robert Stewart to the position of Vice President of Technology and Product Innovation. In his role as VP of Technology and Product ...

Nerac Paper Examines Successful Open Innovation Strategies
MarketWatch - Sep 3, 2008
Analysts Kevin Blackwell, whose focus is new ventures, open innovation and business development, and David Fazzina, who helps companies evaluate and develop ...
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