Freight Brokerage Business. The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.

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      Your hobbies may lead you to business ideas. If gardening or antique toy collecting is what turns you on, take your passion and turn it into a real business. Sell your locally grown herbs or vegetables to restaurants or set up an online business selling your rare toy finds on eBay.

      That is one way to get ideas—listening to your own (or your co-workers’, family’s, or neighbors’) frustrations. The opportunities are all there; you just need to search them out. If your brain is always set on idea mode, then many ideas may come from just looking around or reading. For instance, if you had read an article about the shrinking lunch hour, and if you were thinking entrepreneurially, you would say, “Wow, maybe there’s an opportunity there for me to do something. I should start researching it.”

      Inspiring Moments

      Inspiration can be anywhere. Here’s another classic startup story: Before the days of on-demand movies from cable providers and streaming video services, did you ever get charged a fee for returning a video late? Bet you didn’t do anything about it. Well, when Reed Hastings got a whopping $40 late charge, instead of getting mad, he got inspired. Hastings wondered “How come movie rentals don’t work like a health club, where, whether you use it a lot or a little, you get charged the same?” From this thought, Netflix.com was born. From its start in 1999, Netflix has grown into a big business with revenues topping $4.4 billion in 2013. And that was achieved despite some hardships for the company and a required re-invention.

      Getting an idea can be as simple as keeping your eyes peeled for the latest hot businesses; they crop up all the time. Many local entrepreneurs made tons of money bringing the Starbucks coffeehouse concept to their hometowns and then expanding from there. Take Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee. The founders had what they describe as an “aha moment” in 1990, and two years later launched what is now the nation’s second-largest corporate-owned gourmet coffeehouse chain. Other coffee entrepreneurs have chosen to stay local.

       “Drive thy business or it will drive thee.”

      —BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

      And don’t overlook the tried and true. Hot businesses often go through cycles. Take gardening. For the last few years gardening products and supplies have been all the rage, but you wouldn’t consider gardening a 21st century business. The same goes for shoe cobblers and seamstress businesses—with people wanting shoes and clothes to last longer or fit just-so, these businesses are in demand, and supply is short.

      In other words, you can take any idea and customize it to the times and your community. Add your own creativity to any concept. In fact, customizing a concept isn’t a choice; it’s a necessity if you want your business to be successful. You can’t just take an idea, plop it down and say, “OK, this is it.” Outside of a McDonald’s, Subway, or other major franchise concept, there are very few businesses that work with a one-size-fits-all approach.

       Thinking It Through

       Before you start a business, you have to examine the potential, what your product or service is, and whether the opportunity exists to make a good deal of money. It may be a “hit and run” product, where you’re going to get in, make a lot of money, and then get out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; fads have made some entrepreneurs incredibly wealthy. Remember the children’s bracelet fad brought on after Silly Bandz became popular? Silly Bandz and others like it are still around, but they’re not all the rage (or as financially successful) that they were the first few years. But remember, once you’re in the fad business, it’s hard to know when it’s time to get out. And if you guess wrong or try to make a classic out of a fad, you’re going to lose all the money you have earned.

       “Plan your hunches and use your head.”

      —LILLIAN VERNON, FOUNDER OF LILLIAN VERNON CORP.

      One of the best ways to determine whether your idea will succeed in your community is to talk to people you know. If it’s a business idea, talk to co-workers and colleagues. Run personal ideas by your family or neighbors. Don’t be afraid of people stealing your idea. It’s just not likely. Just discuss the general concept; you don’t need to spill all the details.

      Just Do It!

      Hopefully by now, the process of determining what business is right for you has at least been somewhat demystified. Understand that business startup isn’t rocket science. No, it isn’t easy to begin a business, but it’s not as complicated or as scary as many people think, either. It’s a step-by-step, common-sense procedure. So take it a step at a time. First step: Figure out what you want to do. Once you have the idea, talk to people to find out what they think. Ask, “Would you buy and/or use this, and how much would you pay?”

      Understand that many people around you won’t encourage you (some will even discourage you) to pursue your entrepreneurial journey. Some will tell you they have your best interests at heart; they just want you to see the reality of the situation. Some will envy your courage; others will resent you for having the guts to actually do something. You can’t allow these naysayers to dissuade you, to stop your journey before it even begins.

      In fact, once you get an idea for a business, what’s the most important trait you need as an entrepreneur? Perseverance. When you set out to launch your business, you’ll be told “no” more times than you’ve ever been told before. You can’t take it personally; you’ve got to get beyond the “no” and move on to the next person—because eventually, you’re going to get to a “yes.”

      One of the most common warnings you’ll hear is about the risk. Everyone will tell you it’s risky to start your own business. But what in life isn’t? Plus, there’s a difference between foolish risks and calculated ones. You can mitigate your risk if you carefully consider what you’re doing, get help when you need it, and never stop asking questions.

       Fit to A “T”

       Every December in Entrepreneur magazine, the hottest business trends for the coming year are profiled, representing a lot of research and a lot of homework. But that doesn’t mean these businesses will work for you. After all, you may not be good at these particular businesses. Or you could live in an area where the business is already saturated or not viable. Or they simply may not suit you, and you’d end up hating your business. And chances are if you hate what you’re doing, you’ll fail doing it.

      aha!

      Is there a household chore or annoyance that drives you up the wall? Common sources of frustration or irritation are great idea generators. The woman who invented the now-ubiquitous spill-proof Snack Trap for small children (they can reach their little hands in to grab a treat, but no matter how much they shake or drop the snack cup, nothing falls out—usually) was simply tired of cleaning up Cheerios from the СКАЧАТЬ