How To Keep Track Of Business Ideas
Keeping track of all your business ideas is tricky, to say the least! Before you give up and decide that you’re not going to create anything new, there are some easy ways to organize and manage your ideas.
You can use index cards or notes apps to make sure you don’t forget any ideas. You can also put yourself in time frames to see if there’s a good fit for each idea at this current stage.
This article will go into more detail about how to keep track of your most important ideas.
Use a mind-mapping tool
A great way to organize all of your ideas is by using a mind mapping tool. You can create different folders for each idea, then add notes and brainstorming in those areas.
You can also quickly move ideas into other groups or categories.
The best feature about this method is that you don’t have to physically keep track of these ideas. When everything is in your head, it becomes much easier to access them.
There are many free and paid software programs that allow you to upload pictures and type things out.
Use a digital diary
A great way to keep track of your business ideas is by using a digital diary. You can create a diary in any smartphone app or software program that allows you to organize things into different categories, and then add notes to each item.
Some examples of such apps are: Google Calendar, Microsoft One Note, Evernote, and Apple Notes.
By having this online and mobile-based tool, you will never need to remember what your next step is because you will always have access to it. Plus, you can easily move around or update your information from anywhere with internet access!
This is very helpful as you start out doing business and want to know where your next opportunity lies. You can also reevaluate your current opportunities depending on whether they work for you or not before moving forward with another one.
Make a list
One of the easiest ways to keep track of all your business ideas is to make a list of them. You can do this physically, like with index cards or an app, or virtually, such as using Google Docs or Microsoft Office Online.
Whatever method you choose, just be sure to not have it accessible to anyone but you, as well as that you will always update this list!
By keeping this list in one place, next time you brainstorm new businesses you can simply refer back to this list to see if any of those ideas are feasible. Or you could look through some of the ideas to get inspiration for more exciting possibilities.
Take notes
Keeping track of all your business ideas is hard, which is why there are so many people with great ideas that never actually implement them.
The first way to make progress on this front is by taking notes. Make it a rule — any new idea you get must be written down in some form.
This could be an index card or notebook entry, a typed note on your computer, or even just speaking into your phone for later review.
But no matter what method you choose, you should always add at least one column per topic –– create a column for Topic, then Acknowledge, Add Note, Review, Action, etc.
That way you can easily see how each item fits into your overall plan and process.
Now, don’t let all these notes go to waste! Once you have done the initial brainstorming, re-evaluate where necessary by adding more detail to those notes.
Brainstorm with friends
As mentioned earlier, having a constant stream of ideas is great way to stay inspired and focused on business ventures. People are constantly sharing ideas they have and getting inspiration from others’ success.
Thinking about businesses in terms of what you don’t want to do anymore is a good place to start. If you feel like your current job has run its course or that you’re no longer passionate about it, look into other opportunities within your organization or outside of it.
Alternatively, if there’s something you’ve been wanting to get done but never seem to find the time, try investing some time into it this week. Or maybe you’ll discover that you can easily pick up work doing something you’ve always wanted to do!
Either way, keep an open mind as you brainstorm. You may hit upon an idea that seems perfect already!
And don’t forget to evaluate each proposal critically – not only does it need to make sense, but also you need to believe that it will be successful. No one else but you can determine whether it is or isn’t.
Come up with a theme
The theme for your business is something that you will stick in front of your business name or shorted version of it. For example, if your business is teaching people how to cook, then your theme would be cooking!
The reason why having a theme is so important is because it helps you organize all of your ideas.
As you are thinking about ways to make money, you can add this idea to your theme. By doing this, you have organized your thoughts and can start to work on developing these strategies more fully.
By using a common element as your theme, you also create a link between those who have done well and yourself. You could even take what they did and develop it into another area of business!
This article will talk more about theming for business tips and tools to help you do this.
Conduct market research
A business idea is not worth investing in unless you have proof that there is a demand for it. Before jumping into developing your product, do some preliminary work to make sure people are looking for what you want to offer.
Do some thorough online research to see if there are already products like yours. Check out other companies’ websites as well as their social media pages to get an understanding of how they operate.
By researching your potential market, you will know whether or not your concept is viable. You can also determine the best way to position yourself within this market by doing competitor analysis.
You should always keep your eyes open for new opportunities. If you ever notice something that looks interesting, test it out by buying a few pieces of equipment or consulting about the product on sale.
Reading through reviews can help you decide if a particular company has good or bad experiences with them. The better you know your competition, the easier it will be to stay ahead of them.
Write down your ideas
Keeping track of all of your business ideas can be tricky at times, especially if you’re ever need of an inspiration or new idea.
The easiest way to keep track of your business ideas is by writing them down!
From notes in your phone to online tools that help organize all of your information, having a notebook or diary with you at all times is one of the best ways to stay organized.
By doing this as soon as you wake up, before leaving for work and during breaks you will have constant access to write down your thoughts.
This also helps prevent distractions, as you are not left waiting for someone else to take note of their own ideas before you can.
