Business Ideas That Solve Problems – Find Your Perfect Idea
There are endless ideas on the internet, most of them are business ideas that solve problems. You have probably come across an idea and then researched it only to find someone else has had a similar one and already started. Bummer. Realistically, any idea you come up with, likely there is something similar in the world already. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue it.
The world is constantly changing, new technologies are developing, new problems arising every day. Even old problems with solutions have room for improvement. Just look through history and see how vehicles have changed. Each time a new vehicle is released, it is solving a new problem for a consumer or making an old solution more convenient. Increased safety, automatic windows, warning lights on your mirrors. Solutions are always evolving and changing.
Remember if your idea solves a problem and others are also trying to solve that problem, there is a market for it. But you already know there is potential in a business idea that solves a problem. You want to know what is the right idea for you. What problem can you confidently solve for someone else?
The Importance of finding the right idea
What happens when you try something that you just don’t have a passion for? Sometimes you get bored and stop trying, other times you run into a difficult situation or challenge and give up. The reason you give up is because there was something missing for you.
Maybe it was challenging but because it wasn’t that important to you, it was easier to give it up than to push through. Or, perhaps it was too easy or dull for you that you just got bored and wanted to do something else.
Is it possible that you weren’t excited about it, maybe you didn’t enjoy the work or maybe it wasn’t having a positive impact on people or the world? Maybe you realized you want to do something that will change the world for the better and your heart was not in it.
There are hundreds of reasons why business ideas don’t continue, and hundreds of circumstances involved. But in successful businesses, what is one thing you could find in common? A driving force or passion which comes from someone really believing in it and is willing to push the limits because of that.
Steps to find business ideas that solve problems
There are lots of ways to find business ideas that solve problems. Just look at your life and the people in it.
- What problems have you faced and overcome?
- What have your friends and family faced?
- What problems do you see in your community?
There are lots of problems that need solving, but your goal is to find the problem that you have a passion for. A problem that you can solve even when challenges arise and times get tough. Something you believe in so much that you can push through and really make a difference in.
The challenge of finding YOUR right idea
To find an idea that has business potential but also reaches you on a personal level we need to ask ourselves some questions.
Some will be personal where you will need to look inward at yourself and at your past. It may be difficult if you have had a challenging life. But don’t let that deter you from moving forward, it is the hardest times in our life where we learn the most about ourselves. This could be your key to helping someone else and really making a difference for them, which may also help you find some positives in a rough experience.
It may also be hard if you feel you have had a good life, where you maybe have not had challenges like others to overcome. You may feel like you don’t have enough to offer but don’t let that stop you either. We have all had challenges in our life that we have had no choice but to overcome. Let this activity guide you to finding your answer.
12 questions to find business ideas that solve problems
The first questions are directed on a personal level. The goal is to focus on things you would enjoy, things you know you are good at, or things you have had to overcome. Things that gave you confidence or situations where you went through immense growth. Get a pen and paper and take your time to write down every idea that pops into your head. You can also print off this workbook.
1. What am I good at?
Get a piece of paper out and write down everything you enjoy doing, everything you think you’re good at. Don’t leave anything out. Just write it all down. It is important to include things you are good at but might not be proud of as well. Sometimes things click when you take a negative and turn it into a positive. (One of the things I am good at but not proud of is worrying, but I am a pro at it!)
2. What would someone else say I am good at?
Call your parents or relatives or ask your friends and write down their answers. I called my dad, mom and sister. Talked to my brother, husband and friends. It can be interesting to see what other people think you excel at. I almost guarantee there will be something that someone says that will surprise you.
3. What do people ask me for advice on?
This is a good one. Think about what people usually ask you for advice or help with. Do they call you with gardening questions, parenting advice, or help with building projects? These would be some ideas that you could turn into business.
4. What is something I do all the time that is really easy for me?
Do you notice anything that you do all the time that comes easy to you? Are you good at planning events, are you great at making sales calls, are you someone who has a gift for painting? Write those ideas down.
5. What really interests me that I want to learn more about?
Here you want to write down anything that you’ve always been interested in but maybe never really pursued. For me, I love ballroom dancing but never got into it, but I wrote it down because I enjoy it.
6. What is a difficult challenge in my life that I have overcome?
Sometimes we may have had a bad experience or tough situation to navigate through. Maybe it was a childhood experience, or a relationship heartbreak or a recent life changing event. Write down any experiences that had a big impact on your life.
The second set of questions will help determine which ideas would be good to dive deeper into for business pursuits. These require online research. When you’re googling your idea online, remember this is only research on your ideas. It is not a time to critique your idea but just to gather information.
7. Do any of my ideas above solve a problem for someone else?
Here you can look at the ideas you wrote for the first questions and determine if any of those would solve a problem for someone else.
For example, let’s use ballroom dancing as an example. I enjoy it and am good at it, would teaching it to someone solve a problem? YES – lot’s of couples look to learn dances for their weddings or anniversaries.
8. Does this solve a problem for just a few people or many people?
This will give you an idea of how you could grow your business. Try googling your idea and see what comes up. Look to see if there would be some demand.
9. Would someone pay for my solution?
Is there a way you can monetize your idea? Are there products you can sell, courses or services you can offer? When you’re searching online, look at how other people with similar ideas are making money.
10. Do I really enjoy this topic?
This is important. Lot’s of times we can come up with an idea but when it comes to making it long term, we want to make sure we like the topic enough that we won’t get sick of it in a few months and stop. This was important for me, I had a lot of ideas but only a few I thought I would enjoy for years into the future.
11. Is there growth potential?
Most ideas will fit in here because the world is always changing, but it is a good idea to determine if you have enough ideas to expand. If you want to blog, do you think you can write about this topic for a long time and for many articles? For a product, do you see a way you can expand produce lines?
12. Does it contribute to making the world a little better?
If I have found one thing that helps keep interest and excitement, it is finding a topic that not only excites you but it also does something positive for the world or the people in it. When we know that we are doing something good it is easier to stay motivated to keep going. The more we serve others, the more rewarding and fulfilling the experience for us.
Once you’re finished with these questions you should have a couple ideas that keep repeating in your mind. They may not be perfect, no idea ever is, but you should see some potential in it. You should feel some excitement and after doing a little research you should have some confidence in it.
Progress lies in Action – Find your business ideas that solve problems
It is normal to have some nerves about your idea, but right now you want to keep your momentum going. I learned from a blogging course by Suzi (startamomoblog.com) that imperfect action is better than no action. Strive to take some imperfect action every day and soon you will look back and see the large change it has made in your life.
Take 2 minutes and write down what action step you are going to take today. Maybe it is to print off this worksheet and decide on your business ideas that solve problems for someone else. Maybe it is to write your first blog post, maybe it is to call a friend and share your excitement with them. Decide on one action you will do today and go do it.
Defy the Doubts
A trap easily fallen into (I know this from experience) is spending hours researching and not taking the next step. Research is hugely important when beginning a business but don’t let yourself get caught up in endless searches where you end up having doubts creep into your mind and take over. Be smart with your research and keep believing in yourself.
Next Steps to finding your business idea
Now, if you haven’t printed off the FREE workbook, do it now and work through the 12 questions listed above. Remember it doesn’t have to take long but having it written down provides you with a visual and it keeps all your ideas in one place. Also included is a BONUS 7 day challenge to help you kick start your idea. It’s completely free and is a great tool for you to determine your perfect idea.
Remember to keep believing in yourself and continue to take a little bit of action each day. Small manageable steps will get you there. You got this!
