Where do good business ideas come from?

by Startacus Admin
Joseph Benn, author of 'Brilliant Business Ideas' shares his thoughts on where good business ideas come from (and gives a few tips on how you can find them)
“I’d would love to have my own business I just need an idea.”
If you have ever uttered these words, then this post is for you. Its a dream which so many of us harbour, but so few of actually achieve and its no wonder, creating, growing and maintaining a business is surly one of the most difficult things to do in life. The whole process starts with an idea... and often that idea can be the most difficult thing to come by.
Im going to tell you where good business ideas can come from and show you one creative thinking technique that will enable you to start generating them within ten minutes.
First realise your business idea does not have to be earth shatteringly new! This is one of the barriers many people face – they feel that their idea has to be something never seen before. The truth is, as we all know, there is nothing new under the sun and that applies to business as well. So don’t strive to come up with an idea that is completely original. Of course if you do get such an idea that’s excellent but you don’t have to.
Where do good business ideas come from?
I find this topic fascinating because it sounds like it should be easy to answer. But Ive asked it at well over a hundred workshops and not one attendee has given me an answer that is helpful.
When I work with people to help them develop their business ideas I tell them there are four main sources of ideas. The strength of these four sources is that they ensure any ideas you come up with focus entirely on you as an individual. This means youre more attached to the ideas you generate than you otherwise might be and when the going gets tough (as it will) you will be more motivated to carry on.
The first source is hobbies –these are the things you do on a regular casual basis
The second is passions – these are the things that you get out of bed for, the things you live for. For some people passions and hobbies are the same thing that’s absolutely fine.
The third is Frustration/Anger – from rude drivers to bad manners we all know what flicks our switches
The final one is Necessity – the things we need to survive on this planet.
Now that we know what those sources are how do we use them to generate business ideas?
Continued on page 2.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Whirli is an innovative toy subscription service providing you with access to a huge ever-changing toy box

If, like many of us you're working from home at the moment, here are a few basic tips to help you do just that - in comfort

The award winning Lloyds Lab incubator is back and is currently seeking innovative startups to join its latest cohort, Cohort 6.

The f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ campaign that's showcasing the inspirational female entrepreneurs who are running small businesses and supporting their communities

Bankhouse Media, the leading full-service digital marketing agency expands its offering and sets up a Belfast base in Glandore

Leading event marketplace, Feast It secures major funding boost to assist with its expansion to full event planning and also further grow its virtual events offering

The London-based fintech innovator, PayDashboard, receives Innovate UK Funding to support its growth in the financial wellness space

Manna is an innovative Irish startup that's on a mission to use commercial drones and make 3-minute delivery within the community a reality

Reboxed is a Brixton-based sustainable commerce startup that's created a smarter, safer, more sustainable way to buy and sell your tech

Planning a marketing campaign for your business for the year ahead? These tips will help you ensure that it's a success
Published on: 20th September 2012
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Innovative InsurTech startups take note - Lloyds Lab wants to hear from you 14th Jan 2021 The award winning Lloyds Lab incubator is back and is currently seeking innovative startups to join its latest cohort, Cohort 6.
- Female Entrepreneurs Powering Economy and Communities Celebrated 13th Jan 2021 The f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ campaign that's showcasing the inspirational female entrepreneurs who are running small businesses and supporting their communities
- PayDashboard secures funding boost for its innovative payslip platform 12th Jan 2021 The London-based fintech innovator, PayDashboard, receives Innovate UK Funding to support its growth in the financial wellness space
- The Wild Curl crowdfunds to fight against hair discrimination 21st Dec 2020 The Wild Curl launches crowdfunding campaign to help with its mission of disrupting the beauty industry and fighting against continuous hair discrimination