3 tips to Help Entrepreneurs unleash their innovative ideas

There is one type of creativity that is sometimes overlooked — the consumers of goods themselves. People and companies use products they buy from others in their day-to-day activities. They may not know exactly how to create something, but they know how to use it. This “user knowledge” often leads to great ideas on how to improve these products or how to replace them with even better solutions. Here are five tips to help entrepreneurs unleash their ideas:

Listen to your own needs and frustrations

When you brainstorm, think of potential problems that could be turned into product ideas. It’s the classic talent of businessmen. They find the holes in the latest trends and try to cover the holes in order to create a more desirable product. Just listen to a few episodes of Shark Tank. A recent study found that more than 6 percent of adults are engaged in some form of innovative activity for the products they use. Here is an example: Tonal, a home gym system that is attached to a wall, was founded by a user who just couldn’t make it to the gym with his tight schedule. So, he invented his own gym at home. As consumers of other goods and services, can you think of ways they might be improved? 

Think about how to innovate within your job.

No workers will be left untouched by the effects of the pandemic. Companies will be looking for innovative ideas to help them keep going and become more nimble in an age of uncertainty. Seek to become an agent of change in your business, or what is widely called a “intrapreneur.” One famous example that highlights this argument is Post-It Notes (3 M) which were created by workers during their spare time. Think about things that you could improve as a user of both products and services in your context. If you are able to come up with a creative idea, you can be able to tap into the company’s capital to further improve the product. The payoff might not be as large as if you were to do it on your own, but it may still be significant. 

Look for people that can help you with your ideas.

What if you have a good idea, but don’t have the technical background to make a product or create a design? With so many people at home, there’s a vast pool of talent and knowledge to draw on to help you out. Define the kind of help you might need and begin to reach out to potential partners, both through your own network and through the Internet. Innovation is almost always a team effort, and you may be surprised at what you can find by taping the right channels.