Business idea concept. Business ideas

When choosing an idea for a new business, it is necessary to answer two main questions: what products the company will sell and who will purchase these products.

Therefore, a successful business idea must be focused on the needs of potential customers and serve as a guide for the entrepreneur when starting or expanding a company. The goods produced and services provided can satisfy physiological and other needs, as well as solve certain problems clients.

Parameters for evaluating a business idea

In order to choose a business idea, an aspiring entrepreneur must evaluate each option according to several parameters.

Analyze how popular and in demand the chosen niche is. Define target audience and demand, evaluate your potential customers.

Determine how interesting your chosen field of activity is to you. After all, at the first stage, success can be achieved only with maximum involvement in the business of the entrepreneur himself.

Match yours personal experience and knowledge that will be required in the work. To competently build and optimize business processes, it is desirable that the entrepreneur already has basic knowledge and experience in a certain field.

Calculate the minimum volume starting capital and evaluate all available funding sources. Remember that for development production activities it requires much more funds than starting a business in the service sector.

Assess the profitability and payback period of the project. Profitability also depends on the specifics of the industry and the characteristics of the enterprise itself. Projects with a long payback period usually require significant financial investments.

Define competitive advantages business. Analyze whether you can offer your potential clients something new and unique, different from competitors' products.

Thus, after an in-depth analysis of the chosen business idea, the entrepreneur must have a clear idea of what product he will offer on the market. In addition, for the successful implementation of an idea, it is necessary to assess potential demand in advance and think through your sales policy.

3. Improve existing business- another good option. There is always an opportunity to optimize one or another area of activity.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

Find an industry in which you have specific knowledge or explore an area of interest. You can use the services of a businessman you know who has experience in a particular type of activity;
- analyze what people like, what areas can be improved, where there are shortcomings;
- develop innovations and implement your business taking them into account.

4. Remember old business ideas that were popular. This strategy can be very effective because people tend to return to old habits. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Remember all the areas that were popular before, but are now almost never implemented;
- think about why this type of business disappeared and whether it will be relevant today;
- analyze ways to implement the project, draw up a business plan, conduct research (if necessary).

5. Make your childhood dream come true. The easiest way is to realize your “blue dream”, because in this case you don’t even need to invent anything.

You need to act this way:

Remember what you wanted most as a child;
- imagine that this business already exists and understand your feelings;
- analyze the prospects of a business project. If it is clearly unprofitable, then it is not worth the risk;
- if the idea is profitable, draw up a detailed action plan and implement them.

The results can be compiled into a small table, where one is the best score for the selected criterion, and five is the worst. The final table is as follows:

Business idea generation

The main problem with existing business ideas is their “worn-out” nature and low efficiency. Many cells are already occupied, so it requires the creation of some unique idea that has not yet been implemented by anyone. Today there are many methods known business idea generation and here are some of them:

1. Brainstorming - developed by Alex Osborne. This method of searching for ideas is practiced in many companies, both large and start-up. Advantage brainstorming is that it allows you to get new ideas, regardless of the current direction of activity.

The essence of the method is simple. Participants in the experiment are asked a question, which they discuss and offer solutions. The latter may be fantastic - this is allowed. Collective discussion makes thinking more active and stimulates creative process. In such discussions, brilliant ideas are often born that remain to be “hone” and thought through. From hundreds of solutions, you can always choose 1-2 good options.

Brainstorm is carried out in three stages:

- definition of the problem. It is important to immediately highlight in which direction the discussion will take place;
- generation of business ideas. At this stage, any assumptions are made. the main task– do not criticize other participants (even if the ideas are really stupid). Any suggestions and ideas are welcome - including completely fantastic ones;
- collection of proposed ideas and their analysis. As a result, you can choose several of the most worthy ones.

You can involve your friends in this method and in this way find an idea for your business.

2. The "six hats" method. This method was developed by Eduardo de Bono. The essence of the method is simple. A person alternately puts on six hats of different colors. Each shade has its own function:

- white hat– analysis of facts and figures of the future business. There should be only facts and no emotions;
- black hat– searching for the disadvantages of the chosen idea, as well as possible risks. This hat should reflect all the pitfalls of business and the least rosy prospects;
- yellow hat– analysis of all positive points future activities;
- green hat– generation of additional ideas related to the chosen direction, non-standard solutions;
- red hat– checking your own emotional feelings from conducting activities, listening to your intuition. There should be no justification here - only internal sensations;
- blue hat– summing up the work done, the results of potential financial result, the final choice.

This technique is similar to a game, but it incredibly activates brain processes and forces you to think in the right direction.

3. Mental maps- This is a method that relies on the characteristics of human thinking and memory. Developer: Tony Buzan. He believed that the basic processes of thinking are based precisely on memory, memories, and acquired experience.

The essence of the technique is simple. To begin, take a large piece of paper and write one business idea in the center. Then “branches” begin to branch off from it, on which all the main associations for the future business are written. The result is the formation of a large map with a huge number of associations interconnected by one concept.

The advantage of the method is inclusion creative thinking, creating a whole network of associations from which you can choose one of the most promising and profitable.

4. Synthetic method. Author: William Gordon. This is one of the most difficult but effective methods. If you understand it, you can easily generate new ideas or solve complex problems. The main essence of the method is the search for analogies. The algorithm is as follows:

1) A specific object is selected and a table is drawn to fill the empty columns with analogies.
2) The goal is compared, indirect and direct analogies are made.

Example. The object is a pen. The main goal is to increase the range of products and increase sales. The analogy is direct - the handle is voluminous and large. The analogy is indirect - the handle is flat. If we combine two analogies (direct and indirect), then the idea of creating a pen in the form of a bookmark for books is born. This example is the simplest, but it best reflects the essence of the technique.

5. Focal object method – interesting and effective method search unusual ideas. The author of the technique is Charles Whiting. He himself characterized his method as the ability to combine different objects into one whole and come up with a new business solution that will benefit and be interesting to people.

An example is New Year's celebration. The main associations with this event are a laid table, sparklers, lit candles, and a Christmas tree. At this stage, an idea is born - to add elements of sparklers to a candle. As a result, the candle will burn and sparkle. This technique will work in all areas - industry, everyday life, chemistry, and so on.

6. Method of indirect strategies. Developers: Peter Schmidt and Brian Eno. The point is to give yourself specific instructions that take the form of a specific order. At the same time, there is no information about what the commands will be and what this will lead to. In the past, special cards were used for this purpose with messages like “Wash your face,” “Spin,” “Ask your body,” and so on. Today there is no need to write such cards - this technique is available on the Internet. It is enough to re-visit the page futura.ru/Oblique.htm every time. A new team will appear at the top.

7. Idea Trap Method. Good ideas come spontaneously. If you sit down in a chair and start coming up with something new, the result will be zero. Interesting thoughts arise unexpectedly - while relaxing in the bathroom, traveling on the bus, lying in bed. As soon as a good thought flashes through, it should be written down. To do this, you need to carry a notebook and pen with you. At the end of the month, you can take stock and choose the best business ideas.

Business idea evaluation

Once the main directions have been chosen, you need to evaluate the business idea. To do this, you need to ask yourself a few questions:

1. What skills will be required? Running any business requires certain skills and knowledge. If there is a feeling of gaps in any industry, you need to undergo self-study, complete courses, take lessons from professionals in your field, and undergo additional training. Non-professionals often burn out, and their business quickly collapses.

2. Does the market need new product or service? This issue requires analysis at the development stage. The best way checks - cast a “test bait”. For example, if future business associated with the installation of heated floors, you can place an ad on the Internet (newspaper) and calculate how many calls there will be per month. If there is a demand for the service, then you can work in this direction. Similar checks can be carried out for other areas of business.

3. Will the business generate income? The main goal is to determine the minimum acceptable value that will suit you for the first time. The wording “as much as possible” is not suitable - it should be specific goal. At the same time, it is worth weighing your expenses for organizing a business and potential income. This question can only be answered after detailed calculations.

4. What are the advantages of a business idea? It’s important not to just invent good idea, but also make it better than competitors. At this stage, an analysis is carried out of what new the idea will bring, how it differs from existing ones, what advantages it will have over competitors, and so on.

5. Is there potential? A good business idea is one that can be developed almost endlessly. At the same time, the strategy must be developed in advance. For example, first a tire shop opens, then a spare parts store, the next stage is the expansion of services and transformation into a full-fledged service station, then a car wash, and so on.

6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a business idea? The important thing here is to be honest with yourself. If there are 30-40% more negative aspects of future activities than positive ones, then it is better to choose another idea.

7. What audience is the product (service) intended for?? The main thing is to determine who the main client will be, what he wants, what interests he pursues. If you know your consumer and his desires, then you are likely to offer high-quality and the required service much higher.

8. How much money will be needed? The financial part of the business is one of the main ones. You must understand how much money is needed, where it will be taken, whether there will be a possibility of timely repayment of funds (when applying for a loan), whether investors will be needed for the business.

9. What is the return on business? An important point is how long it will take for the investment to pay off. Some areas allow you to cover costs within 6-8 months, but most often the payback is 2-3 years (with an investment of 1 million rubles).

Another option for evaluating a business idea for an existing company. It evaluates:

Source and availability of all necessary information;

Company image;

Availability required experience implementation of the idea;

Availability of a certificate, license or patent;

Availability distinctive features from other similar projects, "highlights",

Availability of a sales market;

Possibilities of a new idea regarding competitiveness;

Availability of support from government agencies;

The amount of capital on hand and its sufficiency to start doing business;

Availability of land, equipment, real estate;

Payback period;

Opportunities for further development.

All results can be assessed based on the data in the table and conclusions can be drawn.

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What is the concept of a business idea? What criteria should it meet? What are business opportunities and how do they differ from a business idea?

At first glance, it may seem that the topic of this article is obvious and intuitively understandable to everyone. In fact, not all aspiring entrepreneurs understand the difference between a business idea and an opportunity and use these terms incorrectly.

So, what is the essence of the concept of a business idea? In the simplest sense it is a concept that can be used for commercial purposes, that is, making a profit. It usually relates to a product or service that can be offered for money. An idea is the first step towards starting a business. Every successful business started with an idea. Although it has the potential to make money, initially the idea itself does not have any real commercial value, since it is only an abstraction. It doesn’t matter how brilliant an idea is - as long as it is expressed as a thought in a person’s head, and not as a working and profitable business system, its real value is zero.

Let us give an example of two companies whose creation was based on interesting business idea. This is an American company, Theranos, founded by "Steve Jobs in a skirt" and a New Zealand company founded by the inventor. The first one promises innovation tests for blood at a low price and with high efficiency. The second is personal backpacks for flights, a kind of backpack.

Both of these companies are interesting and promise to change the world, but from a commercial point of view, the business ideas of Elizabeth Holmes and Martin Glen have not yet justified themselves, because their business does not yet bring the main thing - profit. Martin Aircraft promises to start selling jetpacks at the end of 2016, and Theranos has generally been attacked by the WSJ (critics doubt the effectiveness of Holmes's stated innovations). Therefore, you can be madly in love with your business idea and consider it a million dollars, but if it cannot be transformed into a profitable business system, then its attractiveness can only be appreciated by its creator.

In order to understand how feasible and commercially attractive a business idea is, it is necessary to conduct market research. Typically a promising business idea should be:

relevant (to solve any consumer problem, satisfy his need, etc.)
innovative
unique
clearly focused
profitable in the long term

The profitability and acceptance of an idea by investors often depends on how innovative it is. Being innovative means using business resources in ways that have been little or not used before. At the same time, not only a product or service can be innovative, but also a business system as such. For example, the FedEX company (which, by the way, was once on the verge of bankruptcy).

The benefits that a business idea promises to offer consumers also play an important role. Benefits may not only take the form of higher quality or service, but also reducing costs, that is, lower prices (we all love more for less). An idea that focuses on cost reduction, among other things, has a higher chance of being profitable in the long run. Successful business The idea must meet the following three conditions:

Offer benefits to consumers by solving pressing problems or satisfying needs. The buyer purchases a product or service for one single purpose: to satisfy his need. Thus, if your business idea cannot satisfy the consumer, it is unlikely to be successful. Every successful business idea must have a unique selling proposition (that is, English language called USP - unique selling proposition).
A business idea must have a market that will accept it. A promising business idea must offer a product or service around which either a market (niche) already exists, or will be formed as sales and promotion begin. This refers to the fact that the market can certain reasons reject a business idea. For example, a new unique beef dish will not be in demand in Indian restaurants - the market will simply reject this product.
A business idea must have a mechanism for its owner to receive revenue. An entrepreneur must clearly understand what and how profit will be generated. In the early stages of development Google Bryn and Paige had a vague idea how they search system will bring them money until they integrate PPC (pay per click) advertising into their brainchild.

What are opportunities? This is a proven concept that is able to generate ongoing profits. In other words, a business opportunity is an idea that has previously undergone marketing research, testing and has been “packaged” into a business system that is ready to be launched.

For example, when, as a schoolboy, Fraser Doherty came up with the idea of making jam according to his grandmother’s unique recipe and selling it, it was a business idea. When, after several years of testing my jam on friends, relatives and city residents, many positive comments were received ( Feedback from target consumers), Fraser decided to quit his studies and start a company to make and sell his jam. In this case, it was a business opportunity, since pre-sales of this product have proven their worth and ability to generate money.

When you are in a state of generating ideas, a huge number may come to your mind, but only a few of them (or even one) may be economically feasible and profitable. These few are real business opportunities. It's a good sign if they meet the following criteria:

High gross margin
Potential to reach break-even point within 12-36 months
The amount of starting capital for your startup should be realistic and within your financial capabilities (then you won’t have to rack your brains)
You must have a strong desire and motivation to lead your business to success
Your level of enthusiasm for the business must be high
Potential to generate passive income
Low level of property liability (that is, choosing a legal form in which, in the event of bankruptcy, you will not have to pay creditors with personal property)
Ability to improve product/service over time

After you have thought through everything in detail in your head, it’s time to put your thoughts into documentary form, that is, do it. This is an important part of the beginning entrepreneurial activity, which can eliminate many .

The difference between a business idea and an opportunity. By and large, the world is full of creative, bright, brilliant business ideas. What is really missing are entrepreneurs who have the capabilities and resources to realize them. It’s one thing to come up with and develop a business idea, and quite another to build a profitable company on its basis.

So the main difference between the two is that you can sell a business opportunity, but you cannot sell a business idea (although it is not impossible). Colonel Sanders spent years trying to sell his original fried chicken recipe, but no one listened until he founded KFC, which became the second most recognizable fast food brand after McDonalds. That is, Sanders “packaged” his business idea into a profitable company - a business opportunity for investors. After that, he managed to sell the company, becoming a millionaire. The moral here is: investors invest in business opportunities, not business ideas.

How is it possible to transform a business idea into an opportunity? The answer lies in carrying out marketing research, writing a business plan, testing on real consumers to get feedback, hiring professional business trainers and consultants. Only after holding such events can one judge whether a particular business idea has the opportunity to make money or not.

Good luck finding business ideas and turning them into opportunities!

A business idea very often acts as a locomotive that not only pushes a particular person to the top, but is also a kind of engine of progress, because often such ideas become revolutionary innovations of the time - a steam locomotive or modern gadgets. It is interesting to trace the path of generating an idea - from the moment it originated in your head to its implementation and implementation in a specific business.

What is a business idea?

Hundreds of business ideas come to a person’s mind every day, but most of them are completely useless. However, among their diversity, there are those that are worthy of thought and further implementation. An amazing feature of the human brain is that sometimes ideas that are simply useful or necessary in life come to mind, and sometimes ideas that are fundamentally different from simple fantasy in that they are complete. That is, it describes the essence of the process, the end of which is making a profit and satisfying people’s needs for a specific product.

Usually, business ideas closely related to people's needs. Most often, this is a product or service that occupies a free niche in the market and allows the author of the idea to receive a certain share of the profit. Anyone who is trying to highlight their idea and begin to implement it faces intense competition, because so far the supply on the market is ahead of demand.

Success in business depends on how unique the idea that comes to mind is. How innovative the offer with which a person enters the market is, so large will be the share of his profit.

So, when vague images emerge into concrete possibilities, your own business is launched. Before you start opening, you should remember that entrepreneurship is always a risk. An entrepreneur risks his business every minute, and the more profitable it is, the higher the risks.

Only people with certain character traits make it through and withstand competition - they firmly believe in success, calculate every step and constantly monitor all the main stages of production or service provision. You cannot start your own enterprise if you are a lazy person, since all this requires dedication and complete dedication, especially at first. Before you receive a stable profit and build up the necessary turnover, you will have to work a lot, regardless of time.

Is it worth going into business if you have good ideas?

Thousands of people ask this question every day. The answer to this question is the same profit, which is the crown of any business enterprise. Of the many ideas, it is worth highlighting the one that, when implemented, will quickly recoup the costs of promotion. That is, the first thing you need to do is calculate profitability. To do this, it is not at all necessary to have a higher or special education; it is enough to demonstrate leadership skills, take the initiative into your own hands and prepare the ground, taking into account the inevitable difficulties.

Most people start their business journey with small businesses. To organize your own enterprise you need start-up capital. Small business demands small investment, he does not need large areas for rent and a large number of employees for whom taxes must be paid. The biggest advantage of small businesses is customer demand. By selling goods that are in demand, you can earn good money and work for your own pleasure. When thinking about an idea, each of us should know about the disadvantages that will accompany us along this path:

Flaw managerial experience and poor management. The trouble with our small and medium-sized business leaders is that they cannot properly motivate their employees to produce more products and improve their quality.
Business is concentrated in cities, many promising directions become completely unclaimed in rural areas. This is especially true in the service sector.
Small and medium-sized enterprises that do not have high-quality factory equipment and do not have access to advanced technologies cannot produce standard goods at any time, even with strict control of all stages of production.

Despite the shortcomings, thousands of people work every day at their enterprises, creating an adequate standard of living for themselves and their employees and ensuring the economic prosperity of their country. So, there is great reason in thinking about business ideas and implementing them and it is worth doing.

Related video: searching and choosing a business idea

Business ideas in different areas

Project business

Design is a complex and multifaceted task. To engage in such a business, you need certain qualifications and special equipment. Is it possible to achieve a high result in such a complex matter? Of course, if you organize the work of the project enterprise correctly.

Any building or structure, including utility networks, requires a project. It is best if the project business includes a full cycle - from data collection to support during commissioning, including pre-design survey of the territory, the necessary geological assessment, engineering surveys and modeling. The model must be offered to the customer so that he can imagine how the object will look in reality. Your specialists must be ready to carry out a wide variety of orders, be it drainage projects or construction development storage facilities or residential buildings.

Creating such an enterprise is more difficult than opening a store selling food products, which are always in demand in society. It is also impossible to copy someone else's franchise idea. To open, you need to obtain a number of licenses:

Admission to work on the design and safe operation of buildings and structures;
Admission to work on engineering surveys that have an impact on the safety of operation of a construction site;
Admission to the right to conduct energy surveys;
License for quality certification.

For a project business, it is better to choose a form where the founder is a legal entity. For example, a society with limited liability, it is easier to register, and with construction organizations According to this scheme, cooperation is quite profitable - there are no restrictions on volume working capital. One of the difficulties of this is the selection of specialists for work; they have to be trained and nurtured.

Furniture business

Another one good business idea - furniture business. Although the times of total shortages are long gone, furniture remains one of the most relevant and sought-after goods. Its sales are also stimulated by the revival construction market which has been observed recently. As before, the problem of furniture quality is also acute; the country is filled with semi-handicraft production, so those who want to sell good furniture on the market and expand need to take care of suppliers. High quality traditionally distinguishes Belarusian furniture from Scandinavian and Italian. The only negative is that it cannot be used in small rooms. To do this you will need to rent large retail space, which means that the turnover of funds should allow for the payment of rent for their use on time.

Furniture is not a commodity of everyday demand; you must also be prepared for the fact that the borrowed funds will take a long time to be repaid.

In recent years, there has been a decline in sales on the furniture market; this is due to both the crisis and the fact that the times of furniture shortages are over and the market has become saturated. The investments that will become the basis will only be able to pay off in a year or two. On the other hand, banks, as a rule, do not refuse loans to the population for the purchase of furniture. Therefore, you need to be prepared for the fact that the situation on the furniture market is changing quickly. For example, now few people buy large-sized furniture and opt for small and comfortable pieces of furniture. It is best to deal with a factory product that guarantees high quality. This is the only way to earn the respect of your customers and high profitability.

Creative business, namely wood carving

If you evaluate the costs, the initial investment in this type of business is quite small - you just need to purchase tools and Consumables Of course, you need to have woodworking skills yourself. Here there is a wide opportunity to make and sell elegant carved boxes, unusual picture frames and mirror frames, environmentally friendly wooden toys, decorative frames and furniture, board games and jewelry, everything that is in constant demand on the market.

It should be taken into account that large carvings are labor-intensive to make and high in cost, so they will not immediately find their buyer. In great demand They use miniature products, so it is recommended to start with them, and then move on to larger products.

Before you take this business idea to work, you need to study the demand for these products in your region. It is optimal for a large city with a good flow of tourists, preferably from abroad, this will make it possible to produce mainly souvenirs.

In any city, wooden kitchenware, shelves for books, individual pieces of furniture - stools, tables, rocking chairs and designer board games. Wood carving experts advise beginners not to purchase large sets of tools. Tools can be purchased individually as your business grows. For starters, 5 basic knives will be enough. Having your own tools for sharpening knives will also significantly reduce costs. To work, a carver needs only a small workshop equipped with bright diffused lighting; it is also necessary to have spotlights for performing small works - fine painting, small carvings and burning.

IN creative business There are many nuances and features that need to be taken into account. It is best to go through school under the guidance of a real professional, such as we still have in our country. Having received the proper qualifications and experience, you can go on your own voyage.

Own photo studio

Having your own photo studio is not only profitable business, but also your own creative realization. To start, you need good investment and a good location. Although the competition is quite strong, the winners are those enterprises located near the city center and away from competitors. It is important to correctly determine in what genre the photo studio will develop.

In practice, the most successful businesses are those that collaborate with individual clients and legal entities. For individuals The photo studio prepares photographs for documents, takes photographs of weddings, children's parties, anniversaries, and does portrait photography.

Companies and organizations often request commercial and advertising photography, photo reports from corporate events, calendars and other stationery. After establishing a business, you can offer your services periodicals and fashion brands for creating illustrations, as well as models for their own portfolio. You can include retouching services and artistic treatment photographs. If you plan to conduct portrait photography in the studio, then it is worth inviting a makeup artist and stylist who will raise the image of the photo studio.

The main problem is that when opening professional photo studio will be needed expensive equipment. It’s unlikely to be possible without a loan, because you need to purchase not only photographic equipment, but also additional peripheral equipment - lights, backgrounds, tripods, etc. With the right approach, your own photo studio will bring good income. The main thing is to provide quality services and constantly expand their range.

Organization of a children's room as a business idea

It is possible to apply such business ideas only in major cities where there are big ones shopping centers, beauty salons, restaurants, cinemas, hotels, airports and other infrastructure facilities. The presence of a children's entertainment corner in such establishments helps consumers make a thoughtful choice required product, while the child is busy with an exciting activity. Equipment for a children's room is quite inexpensive, so the amount of starting capital will be approximately 40-70 thousand rubles. Judging by practice, such costs pay off quite quickly.

It is important to purchase high-quality equipment, especially if the traffic in the children's room is planned to be high. Cheap equipment will quickly become unusable and cause problems with repair or replacement of individual components.

There must be an adequate number of tables and chairs for drawing, because children cannot wait to be given a seat. Pencils, markers and paper should also be on the tables at all times to avoid fights and tears. Modern equipment in children's rooms with play modules, easels, houses and rocking chairs can captivate children for a long time and bring them many joyful moments while waiting for mom and dad.

When starting this type of business, you should take into account the responsibility that comes with working with children. First you need to study the fundamental documents:

Federal rules on children's play equipment;
Laws regarding liability for injury to a child;
Fire safety requirements for a playroom.

It's best to start in high-traffic areas, so you should include rental costs. All employees of the children's playroom must have health certificates. And this is also an expense item. At proper organization this will bring a lot of joy to both its organizers and visitors.