Planning tool for brainstorming and identifying small business ideas

BUSINESS IDEA PLANNING TOOL. FREE brainstorming tool to identify YOUR KIND OF BUSINESS. No Email Registration required!

The Business idea • Deciding to start a business is a big step and can be overwhelming.

• The first step is identifying the ‘business idea’. Our article here provides tips on how to do that: http://www.injust5.com/2016/02/23/the-business-idea/ • A key part of our article is that you should in fact ‘Start with YOU not the idea’.

• This brainstorming tool can help you identify what you really want from a business first – rather then jumping to a business idea that ‘makes sense’ based on your skills and experience.

• A business is more likely to successful if you love what you do, rather than one that ‘makes sense’.

• Using this tool you will drill down into what you love doing and what you don’t like doing as well as your personal goals.

• You can use it to inform the process of identifying the business idea as outlined in: http://www.injust5.com/2016/02/23/the-business-idea/ • We use the CREEM concept to guide this brainstorming process as it captures all the different aspects of your personal and working life.

CONNECT – activities where you engage with others or community RELAX – looking after and rewarding yourself and own needs – self-care EVOLVE – things that will improve or grow you, your business or life ENERGISE – things you LOVE doing MAINTAIN – things that HAVE to be done, but you’d like to delegate or get rid of.

FIRST THOUGH YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS!

MY GOALS

What I want out of my business and life

MY PERSONAL GOAL(S)

TIMEFRAME

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MY WORK GOAL(S)

TIMEFRAME

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MY OTHER GOAL(S)

TIMEFRAME

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CONSIDER THIS • Before moving on to the next step ask yourself these questions: • What are you passionate at?

• What energises you and makes you happy?

• What do you love doing? AND What are good at? REALLY good at!

Now consider these questions.

• What don’t you like about your current (or previous) work life?

• What aren’t you good at?

• What do you hate doing?

• What drains you?

• What challenges to you have in your personal and/or business life that you would like solved?

Don’t overthink these questions, just stick to the first thing that comes to your head. CONSIDER your answers from a personal and work perspective.

NOW LET’S BRAINSTORM!

“ Print out the CREEM swirls on the

following pages. You can use a SWIRL for each category or the combined one page option. The swirls are great for visual learners who want to brain dump their ideas in no particular order. Use the words in the swirls as prompts. START BRAIN DUMPING! If you prefer though you can use the list option to capture your thoughts more formally.

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With the questions and answers from the previous page in mind you will brain dump activities or things for each of the CREEM categories: CONNECT – activities where you engage with others or community RELAX – looking after and rewarding yourself and own needs – self-care EVOLVE – things that will improve or grow you, your business or life ENERGISE – things you LOVE doing MAINTAIN – things that HAVE to be done, but you’d like to delegate or get rid of.

Brain dump CONNECT

Brain dump RELAX

Brain dump EVOLVE

Brain dump ENERGISE

Brain dump MAINTAIN

Brain dump – 1 page option

LIST OPTION

connect

ACTIVITIES

relax

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evolve

ACTIVITIES

energise

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maintain

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NOW YOU’RE READY FOR THE IDEA! • Review your answers to above and identify any patterns. Look for must haves/ dos and must not dos when it comes to business.

• What are your non-negotiables, what are your negotiables in a business?

• What kind of business would build on the things you want to do and are truly good at?

• Industry or sector; Retail or professional services; Online or shopfront or both.

• Drill down into what products or services would help you with your personal and business challenges?

• What tasks in this type of business, that you don’t like doing or aren’t good at, can you get rid of, delegate or outsource?

• Double check with yourself will this type of business help me achieve my goals and make me happy?

• What problem(s) exist that your business can solve?

• Then get specific, test your idea and evaluate your business readiness.

See our article for help these steps: http://www.injust5.com/2016/02/23/the-business-idea/

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Don’t forget to check out our other free business resources at www.injust5.com. No email address required.

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