Finding Business Ideas

If you do not already have an idea for your small business, there are many sources you can go to and many methods you can use in order to generate business ideas.

Write your ideas in a notebook or on an ideas board. This will allow you to easily track and compare them. Carry a small notepad with you wherever you go, so you can jot down new ideas. Then transfer them to your notebook to expand on them later.

You can generate business ideas from the following:

• Your previous or current employment
• Family, friends and relatives
• Market, social, business or technological trends
• A product or service need you've identified through personal experience
• Your hobby or leisure activities, including travel
• General interest newspapers and magazines
• Business publications, including magazines, newsletters, trade publications, and books available in the business sections of both libraries and book stores
• Trade shows and conventions
• The Yellow Pages