15 ways to
find successful entrepreneurial ideas! Introducing 7 ideas from famous
companies!
How
Successful Entrepreneurs Generated Entrepreneurial Ideas
How
Successful Entrepreneurs Generated Entrepreneurial Ideas
The key to
starting a business and making it a success is an "idea" and a
"business model." However, I think there are many people who say,
"I want to start a business but I have no idea."
Masayoshi
Son, founder of the SoftBank Group, said, "Depending on which business you
choose when you start a business, even if you do the same thing, it will be big
or small, so write down a huge number of options for the first business to
challenge, and which business to compete in. There is a well-known story that
he thought it through.
Even if it
is an attractive market, is there an idea that can survive in it? That will
determine the viability of the business and how much it can grow in the future.
Also, even if you already have an idea, there may be cases where you can expand
the possibilities by presenting a variety of additional ideas.
The
editorial department, which has created a completely new business model, the
"Founding Notebook," and is in contact with many entrepreneurs on a
daily basis, will introduce how to find ideas for entrepreneurs and aspiring
entrepreneurs.
The booklet
version of the founding notebook is delivered free of charge. About 120 pages
in full color, this booklet is published 15,000 times a month. This booklet is
packed with reasons why it can be issued free of charge. It may help you create
your own new business model. Please take a look at it.
Contents of
this article -
How to get
inspiration for ideas before starting a business
If you don't
have a startup idea yet or don't have a solid idea, try these tips.
Here, we
will introduce the following three methods.
Get inspired
by self-analysis of your own needs and frustrations
Create
connections with business partners and senior entrepreneurs and get hints for
ideas
Get hints by
utilizing entrepreneur support facilities such as chambers of commerce and
industry
Submit as
many business ideas as possible and find a successful business idea.
Get inspired
by self-analysis of your own needs and frustrations
If you do a
self-analysis first when you come up with an entrepreneurial idea, you will
find out which business is suitable for you. Write down as many of the jobs and
activities you've been involved in, what you're good at and what you like to
do, and find your strengths among them. It's okay to have multiple strengths,
not just one.
In addition,
it is a method of obtaining hints from daily thoughts such as "If there
were such a product or service" or "I wish this product or service
was like this". If you keep your antennas up on a regular basis and look
for things that make you feel inconvenient, you may come across entrepreneurial
ideas.
Create
connections with business partners and senior entrepreneurs and get hints for
ideas
Participating
in co-working space events and SNS related to starting a business and making
business partners will allow you to come across ideas from different perspectives
that you would not have come up with on your own, expanding your
entrepreneurial ideas. If you can connect with senior entrepreneurs, you can
listen to their success tips and failure stories and use them for your business
after starting a business.
Colleagues
who have been connected before the founding of the company may be able to
pursue mutual benefits as business partners even after starting the company.
Get hints by
utilizing entrepreneur support facilities such as chambers of commerce and
industry
There is a
way to find entrepreneurial ideas by using public facilities that support
entrepreneurship. Visit the startup support facilities at local chambers of
commerce and support centers, and seek advice or participate in events and
seminars.
There is
also a facility where fellows who want to start a business can interact with
each other, and it is a facility that is useful not only for ideas but also for
making friends.
Simple tips
for getting ideas
It's hard to
come up with ideas at first, and ideas that lead to business and
entrepreneurship are rare. However, if you continue the habit of thinking about
business ideas, the foundation of ideas will be forged, and gradually you will
get used to it and it will be easier to come up with ideas.
Do not focus
on feasibility or quality, first put out numbers
The number
of ideas is important. If you have a number, you can select good ideas from
there and delve into them, and by being conscious of producing numbers, you can
also create a “disposition to generate ideas”. Also, you should be able to
deepen your thinking while comparing good ideas and bad ideas.
To
“visualize” by writing it down on paper
You can't
organize your ideas just by keeping them in your head, and you won't be able to
deepen your thoughts. Once you write it down on paper or type it into an Excel
spreadsheet on your computer, you can deepen your ideas by reviewing them. Make
it a habit to write down and accumulate as much as possible when you come up
with an idea. This is the method I use and works well.
Talking to
people with ideas
Ideas don't
grow by hoarding them. By talking to people, it becomes objectified for the
first time, and it starts to move. In the process of speaking in a way that
people can understand, sometimes you can see what you are missing. It would be
even better if people who have a lot of ideas and see things positively listen
to it. At first, it's okay to say that it's half a joke, but it's just an idea.
By outputting and telling people, ideas will expand.
Multiply
Ideas are
said to be multiplied. There are many cases where new things are born by
multiplying different things. By the way, the world's first patent was "a
pencil with an eraser".
For example,
consider various combinations such as "industry" x "method",
"market" x "age group", "needs" x
"technology".
limit,
discard, specialize
Conversely,
there is also a method of limiting the target range of services and products
and triggering existing services and products. There is also a method of
limiting the area that is the first in a specific area, and the idea of
exclusive products.
For example,
in the canned coffee industry, which seemed to run out of ideas, the one that
became a hit was the morning canned coffee. Based on the idea that many people drink
canned coffee in the morning, it is a good example of a product that stands out
from the crowd of competitors and becomes a hit.
Although the
market will be narrower, we can become overwhelmingly strong in a specific
field by cutting out fields in which we do not have the courage to specialize.
listen to
the voices of those in need
A common
example of a business idea that fails is a case in which it fails to gain the
support of consumers because it lacks a real sense of reality and the user's
real voice.
Conversely,
a business idea that helps people in need is likely to gain support from users
because there is at least a need for it. The voices of those in need are also a
new market.
For example,
the "Foundation Techo" started with the idea that it would be good to
put together a book after an entrepreneur started a business because there was
not a lot of reliable information, and it grew rapidly.
Mr. Nishio
of Creofuga, who was interviewed by "Founding Techo", originally
wanted to use sound effects because he was working in video-related work, but
at the time sound effects were not distributed, so he decided to create a
marketplace for sound distribution. was successfully launched.
In this way,
there is also a way to think of helping people in need in front of you.
To innovate
the distribution of music content,
simply
change the music industry for users! Interview with Mr. Nishio, CEO of Creofuga
think about
the flow of time
What will
come next in the big flow of the times? There is also a way to think.
Although we
don't know tomorrow's stock prices, we can predict how Japan's population will
change 10 or 20 years from now. In addition, although it is difficult to
ascertain developing industries and business categories in the short term,
long-term predictions are not so bad. In such a way, new perspectives may be
born.
In the past,
when the population increased, residential areas were created in the suburbs,
development progressed, and automobiles became popular, businesses that matched
it exploded. In the process of structural changes in the world and the
expansion of the industry itself, new businesses are born and things that are
lacking = new business opportunities to fill them.
This is a
recommended method that I have been practicing, but if you write down the
trends of the times so far and the trends of the industry and society in the
future and compare them, you should be able to grasp the big trends and needs
of the times.
try to
simulate
It is also
effective to simulate "If I make a company ...".
For example,
start with the name of your company and ask yourself, "If I were to create
a company, what name would it have?" The trick here is not to think too
hard. In the process of execution, we will think about it in detail, but in the
stage of coming up with ideas, let's have fun and expand our imagination. By
coming up with an idea for a company name, you may be able to clarify what you
want to achieve with your startup in an unexpected way.
Utilize SNS
By using
SNS, you can obtain information posted by interested people and interact with
each other. You can also use the following methods to generate business ideas.
Get hints by
gathering information
Can be used
for actions to realize ideas, such as making contact
Ask people
you're connected to hear your ideas and see how they react
Mr. Kosuke
Minowa of Gentosha, who has a series of hits, is doing a distinctive activity
for 3. He throws out his ideas on social media to his followers and sees their
reactions. He is an advanced skill that can not be done unless there are many
people connected by SNS.
An
extraordinary editor who keeps chasing talent talks about "How to survive
in the SNS era"
Hit maker
"Editor Kosuke Minowa" Now, talent is gathering in entrepreneurs.
“Entrepreneurship is a competition of world views”
Get quality
information from books, events, etc.
It is
difficult to come up with new ideas even if you are passively receiving
information, but if you work actively and obtain high-quality information, your
brain will be stimulated and you will be able to come up with ideas more easily
in your daily life and work.
For example,
we can say that books and events are treasure troves of ideas. If you broaden
your range of activities, such as attending seminars in your field of interest
or participating in networking events where entrepreneurs gather, you should be
able to see more things from meeting new people.
Even in the
founding notebook, we hold seminars and study sessions related to
entrepreneurship, opening, and management every month. We also hold a
networking event within the seminar, so please join us as one of the
"extraordinary".
How to think
about entrepreneurial ideas from "way of life" and "career"
In addition
to the method of making it a habit to come up with ideas that I have written so
far, there is also a method of thinking about ideas from the perspective of
"lifestyle" and "career".
“Lifestyle”
= What do you like? think from
If you can
do what you love, your life will be much more fulfilling. On the other hand, if
you start a business out of something you love, you may end up doing it as a
hobby and not succeed as a business.
Advantages
of starting a business from what you love
Work itself
becomes fun
Sensitive to
trends and smooth information gathering
Highly
motivated to continue business
Disadvantages
of starting a business from what you love
There are
cases where a hobby becomes a hobby and the establishment of a business is
neglected.
There are
cases where you can't make a calm decision because you like it
First of
all, what are your favorite things? Try writing a lot. From among them, we will
find something that can be a business and delve into it.
For example,
if you like ramen,
Run a
specialty ramen shop
Make a
magazine that introduces ramen shops all over Japan
Release a
recipe for ramen
Operates a
mail-order site specializing in instant noodles
Supporting
business succession of ramen shops
Jobs can be
considered from various angles.
Just because
you start a business, you don't necessarily have to create "a new service
that doesn't exist in the world." One way to find out what you can
incorporate is by looking at examples of people who are doing business with
their favorite things. There is also a way to start with a side job or a
weekend start-up in order to create a base by starting a business with what you
like.
Advantages
of using a side business as a preparatory stage for starting
a business
Avoid risks by starting a business from a side business
“Career” =
What are you good at? think from
The easiest
way to start a business is to look for hints from what you are good at. You can
make the most of the skills and experiences you have acquired as a member of
society and use them.
There is a
possibility that it will become a large-scale project such as so-called
"development" or "invention", and in that case, the hurdles
will be high because it will require appropriate knowledge and skills, but the
impact when it succeeds will be large. is.
Even if you
can't make it happen on your own, there is also a method of looking for friends
based on your idea and asking them to fill in the missing parts and give it
shape.
Advantages
of starting a business from something you are good at
Make use of
the experience you have cultivated
Skills that
have already been used at work are easy to connect to work after starting a
business
lead to
skill improvement
First,
review the qualifications you have acquired and what you were good at in your
previous job, and then look for something that can be used as a business. If you
start a business based on the work you have done so far or the skills that many
people have, such as general qualifications, it is expected that there will be
many competing businesses, so you can find the +α elements that make you
unique. is the point.
For example,
if you are good at English,
Create a
school specializing in business English
Launch an
online English conversation salon
Operate an
exam English correction service
Support
studying abroad
Such will be
considered.
Let's refer
to the ideas of 7 famous companies
Among
entrepreneurs, there are many who have succeeded in business by getting
inspiration from "hints in everyday life" introduced this time. Here
are some examples of entrepreneurs interviewed for the founding notebook.
Please use it as a reference for searching for ideas leading to
entrepreneurship.
Mr. Naomi
Matsumoto, Representative Director of Invention Labox Co., Ltd.
In order to
make household chores easier, he "invents" various useful goods and
signs royalty agreements with numerous companies. Founded in 2010, he used his
experience as an inventor to build an "idea opinion team" system that
connects the ideas of individual inventors to manufacturers. It serves as a
bridge between inventors and companies.
Mr. Yuta
Suzuki, CEO of Comp Co., Ltd.
When I was a
petrochemical researcher, I was so immersed in research that I became ill due
to an unbalanced diet. He plans and sells the COMP series of complete foods
that are ideally formulated with essential nutrients that are essential for
humans.
Mr. Shinichi
Kudo, President of ecbo Co., Ltd.
A foreign
visitor he met on the street asked him to help him find a coin locker to put
his suitcase in, but he couldn't find one at all. We provide a sharing service
that connects "people who want to store their luggage" and
"stores that provide space to store their luggage" and allows them to
store their luggage in an empty space at a store such as a cafe instead of a
coin locker.
Mr. Kenji
Ota, President and Representative Director, Code Me Co., Ltd.
Entrepreneurship
based on 10 years of experience in fragrance development at a fragrance
company. Leveraging the strengths of his experience in the fragrance industry,
he provides “Code Me”, an IT-based personalized aroma service, and data-based
fragrance marketing support for companies in other industries.
Ms. Akiko
Nishiura, Representative Director of Nokisaki Co., Ltd.
Founded in
2008 with the idea of sharing valuable but unused space. Currently, we are
developing "Nokisaki Business" to support the operation of pop-up
stores and "Nokisaki Parking" to eliminate mismatches in parking
lots, contributing to solving social problems.
Mr. Hiroto
Morooka, CEO of Kaminashi Co., Ltd.
His family
owns a field company that outsources airline companies, and he notices that
paper check sheets are frequently used in the field. She got a hint from
problems such as tallying troubles and entry errors and started a business. We
developed a paperless business as a service that can reduce the burden because
we saw the burden on the site up close. Targeting markets that are quiet yet
prone to dynamic change.
Mr.
Tsuneyuki Sakamoto, President and CEO of Smile Works Co., Ltd.
He has
worked in venture companies, foreign-affiliated companies, and major domestic companies.
While working at each startup, he began to have doubts about the management of
the company, and wondered what would happen if he became the manager, leading
to starting a business. The business content is "to increase the
productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises using cloud
technology". Specifically, it will improve the efficiency of
"accurate and complicated work" such as accounting and accounting.
The booklet
version of the founding notebook (free) also contains interviews with many entrepreneurs.
You can find out what kind of thinking and process was used to develop a new
business. It may be helpful for ideas.
Getting
ideas from "supporting" people's entrepreneurship
Many of you
may be wondering why helping entrepreneurs helps you come up with ideas for
your own business. However, helping entrepreneurs is very stimulating, and in
fact it is also a treasure trove of entrepreneurial ideas.
By
supporting entrepreneurs by contributing with effort and skills, or by
contributing money, it is possible to obtain raw information, which makes it
easier for ideas to be born.
Helping
Entrepreneurs with Efforts and Skills
If you know
someone who is starting a business, actively support and support them. If you
don't have them around you, you can make acquaintances at entrepreneurial
events.
It would be
best if you could use your work experience and what you have learned to start a
business, but there may be cases where you do not have such strengths. Also,
even if you are unable to start a business or do not have a concrete image of
it, you can see the reality of starting a business by seeing entrepreneurs up
close and working together. Then, networks and information naturally come in,
and realistic ideas sometimes come naturally. In some cases, you may even have
the opportunity to try out ideas you've been vaguely thinking about. Therefore,
actually helping entrepreneurs is the greatest preparation for starting a
business.
When
starting a business, for example, there is a shortage of manpower in various
aspects such as managing a website and SNS, gathering people, managing events,
and sales. There are some simple tasks that even students can do. Many
entrepreneurs are in need of help and will be happy to take it on. However,
since there are many cases where the profit is yet to come, I feel that I
should help out in my area of expertise and within a reasonable time limit,
with the stance of ``learning about entrepreneurship'' rather than from the
perspective of getting wages. I think it's good. Compared to going to school
and paying tuition, it's much more hands-on learning.
I also
volunteered to support entrepreneurs when I was a salaried worker before
starting my own business. The company I was helping with later grew to become a
listed company, and the experience, network, and practical know-how I gained at
that time were useful when I started my own business . It gave me a chance to
come up with ideas.
Participate
in investments and crowdfunding
Successful
business owners often make angel investments in entrepreneurs.Do you know why?
I want to
return the money I earned to society, there are tax benefits (angel tax
system), I can get investment returns, and I want to personally support... One
of the big reasons for doing so is that you can get information. This does not
mean that we use the information of entrepreneurs as is, but rather that we
receive information on the front lines of society in the form of reports to
shareholders. It also means generating new business ideas.
Participating
in investments and crowdfunding is similar to "helping entrepreneurs"
mentioned above, but it can be said to be more advanced.
Since there
are many cases where there are no entrepreneurs around, one way is to invest in
“crowdfunding”. Crowdfunding is divided into securities type (GoAngel, Emerada,
Fandino, etc.) and purchase/donation type (Makuake, ReadyFor, campfire, Faavo,
etc.). The point to note in this case is not to put in a large amount of money,
for example, to make it a further part of the money you can use freely, so that
even if it becomes zero, you can give up the tuition fee. Some can be done with
a few thousand yen.
The target
should be a business in the field that you are interested in. It is important
to choose investment destinations from the viewpoint that it is interesting to
be involved, rather than from the viewpoint of simply making a profit. If you
actively try to communicate with investees, you should be able to find a lot of
reference and inspiration for your own entrepreneurship.
The booklet
version of the founding notebook contains interviews with investors. You can
see a specific example, so if you are hesitant about investing or crowdfunding,
please check it out.
Thinking
about entrepreneurial ideas from the perspective of “human connections”
That said,
starting a business is ultimately a matter of "edge" and "how to
seize opportunities." Therefore, it is a realistic method to organize the
network around you and think about what kind of work you can do with whom.
Write down
who you would like to work for and the areas in which you can work with them,
and think about where there are entrepreneurial opportunities.
Introducing
tips that lead to success in entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
ideas are organized and preparations are finally started. Here are three things
to keep in mind to keep your business running smoothly:
Start with a
business with small capital
Start with a
side business and gradually increase the scale
acquire
marketing knowledge
This chapter
describes each of them.
Start with a
business with small capital
Even if you
start out thinking that this business will be successful, it may not be very
profitable. Since there is no track record yet and costs do not necessarily
lead to sales, start with a small capital at the beginning.
Today, many
companies that are active on a global scale started out as small local stores,
so the point is to start with a business that can recover from mistakes without
overdoing it.
Start with a
side business and gradually increase the scale
If you have
a good chance of success but you haven't yet produced results, it's easier to
keep it as a side business and gradually expand the scale. If you have a
separate main business that supports your livelihood, you don't have to worry
about losing your livelihood even if your business doesn't make a profit.
There is an
advantage that you can calmly think about the next method, and you can switch
to your main business after making a certain amount of profit as a side
business.
acquire
marketing knowledge
Marketing is
the action to sell products and services, but in order to continue business and
increase sales, marketing that understands customers and creates what they want
and delivers it accurately is important.
However,
even if there is something that the customer wants, it will not lead to sales
if it is not provided at an appropriate price and method. In order to succeed
in your business, you should acquire marketing knowledge by reading the books
of economists on a regular basis.
Points to
keep your entrepreneurial idea from failing
In order to
prevent a successful entrepreneurial idea from failing, keep in mind the
following:
you can
continue doing what you love
have a solid
financial plan
Maintain
strong customer attraction and sales capabilities
You can
expect results only if you continue your business for a long time.
In business,
it is necessary to understand not only sales but also expenses, and to consider
debt repayment and capital investment. If you make a plan with rough expectations
and don't prepare for the eventuality, you will invite bankruptcy.
Even if you
have a good product or service, it will not sell if it is not known, so it is
essential to maintain a high level of customer attraction and sales force.
summary
Ideas for
entrepreneurship are first output, if you get into the habit of putting out
ideas, it will be easier to come up with ideas, and it will be easier to gather
information and networks. I recommend that you first try to act in the output
and the area of interest.
The booklet
version of the start-up notebook contains interviews with entrepreneurs that
lead to ideas for starting a business, as well as a lot of know-how that is
directly linked to specific actions after starting a business. You can request
it for free, so please use it as a reference.
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