How To Create A Legitimate Product For Your Home Based Business Opportunity
How do you turn the light on for your personal creativity?
A night-duty telegrapher was looking for a way to get out of his job. He was probably the fastest hands east of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, he liked his job about as much as a mouth full of gasoline. He wanted to do two things instead and just these two things: get plastered and meet women at local bars.
His big hurdle was that every hour he was required to key in the number 6 to show he was still there. You have to imagine how stir crazy this young man got working at this tedious job.
He spent several days putting together a machine that would automatically key in the number 6 every hour on the hour. This invention worked for a while allowing the young man to enjoy many local establishments and everything the nightlife had to offer. Eventually his boss came in late one night without warning, and that was the end of that job. Nice invention though.
If you are wondering if that young man made anything of his life, well he did. You might have heard of him: Thomas Alva Edison.
Inventions are inspired by many different events for many unique purposes. The problem is you can’t force magic to happen with an invention for your legitimate home based business opportunity. There are ways to help get the creative juices flowing.
Get Down And Dirty!
The first step is you absolutely must get your hands dirty. There is way too much time spent on focus groups, surveys, and countless other “planning” events.
Stop having meetings, no more cultivating financial plans and projections, and please throw your business jargon filled mission statement into a folder and lock it away.
Businesses explode because they get their hands dirty and others waste millions on planning. No business idea is 100% full proof the first time. It is a growing process like being a parent for your first child.
Start creating a prototype or providing a service that is going to get you paid. Start your website, write content and build links. Write the software now to your next big product.
You might say, “Well Cade, you said you have to find out what your customer wants!” I will respond with yes and then probably smack you…no not really.
Show them something first before you improve on it. Your goal should be to create a product that is good. Then let your customers tell you how to make it great.
If that means you have to give it for free, on a trial basis, or for a discount then you do that. The profit you make, if any, will not be the dollar bills in your bank account, but the priceless feedback from your clients.
Smells Like Innovation
Michael Kittredge, founder of the Yankee Candle Company, began his business by walking door to door to sell his candles he made from melted crayons. He would ask people each time after they bought a candle what they would do to improve the product. Many responded that he needed to add something that would give it a scent that would match the color.
He simply did what was suggested and he made a fortune. Customer feedback would not have happened if Kittredge didn’t decide to melt crayons.
I understand if you say, “I don’t even know where to start. I don’t want to invent the light bulb or make candles.”
So what can you do to prime the pump?
There are several ways to foster your creativity:
- OH! Me, me, me!: One of the best ways that entrepreneurs create a product or service is by being the customer. You are already interested in the product you are providing to customers. Since you are a part of your own customer base, you understand what a customer loves and hates about the competition’s products. Think about products or services you use day in and day out. What do you like about them? What would you change to make your life easier?
- What does he know!?: There are countless entrepreneurs right now working day in and day out in the ranks of great companies. They are talented people that just haven’t figured it all out yet. They have a responsibility for an aspect of the company, but no one will listen to their ideas. They are surrounded by prideful, ignorant managers. If this is you, then this is the perfect time to try to cultivate the product or improve it on your own. You might have to do it at home to avoid being fired too early for your own financial good.
- I don’t know what that means, but I don’t like it!: Often we are completely foreign to the product or service of an industry. We might have no background and very little use of a product, but we see something in society that we can take advantage of. One of the smartest things you can do is find a business partner that has background in this area and court this person to join in your venture. This can save you a lot of wasted time.
- Where is my hammer?: The last way can be the hardest and the easiest all in one. You might have no background in an area, but you just establish something you thought of in your mind that you have never seen before. For some it is harder to be creative than others, but what is nice is that you are not boxed in by a jaded industry with rules. Your mind has no bounds, and I would say the best way to stimulate this is by reading many, many books. Fill your well with related industry books, trade magazines and blogs. Edison, although enjoying the night clubs, actually read Newton’s Principia Mathematica, Parker’s Natural and Experimental Philosophy, and Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by the time he was 12.
These are the general starting points for you to come up with an exciting new brand. Whatever you do you need to provide value as a work at home business opportunity. The truth is the more passionate you become about it, the more you will read about it, talk to people about it, read content about it, and eventually figure it out.
Here is your assignment:
1. Spend at least one hour a day reading about innovation and business concepts (or whatever stimulates your mind).
2. Right after reading spend an hour pondering and writing ideas down on some savable document.
3. Carry a notepad and pen (or a pda/cell phone) that you can keep notes of daily experiences that you would change.
Inspiration comes in the most interesting circumstances, just ask Edison.
This is as much your blog as it is mine and now the blog is yours.
Let me ask you what is your single most important question about legitimate home based business opportunities?
What brought you to Write To Right?
What would you want to see more of on this site about legitimate home business opportunities that would excite you, but you can’t find?
This is your chance to make this site better one comment at a time. Feel comfortable to express your inner feelings and don’t hold anything back!
If you liked this post then make sure to subscribe to Write To Right for more information on starting a successful business.
Filed Under Home Based Business Opportunities, Starting A Business |
Tagged With business jargon filled mission statements, customer feedback, financial plans and projections, foster your creativity, invention, legitimate home based business opportunity, prototype, thomas edison, write the software
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Look At All-Tex Exteriors
This is another great post, Cade. Edison may have exceptional talent but the approach towards his inventions came from only one thing I guess - determination. I also learned that Edison admitted that he had failed more than a hundred times before he hadthe first light bulb light on. And when asked about the failures, he humbly replied with something like this, “No, I did not fail. It just so happen that the process has more than a hundred steps”.
By the way, I am spending around 3 hours a day reading money matters related to family and business but I hate writing them down. Instead, I am blogging about them. Not only to remind me, but to share to my readers what I have been learning.
Along the process, I am hoping to find my own hammer.
Thanks!
hi, thanks for your info!
Thanks for this yet another great post on home based business. Yes, determination is the key factor to success. Thanks again.
Your tips to design and deliver a good product through home based business is great. For everything and anything you should have a good determination, with out which you can not do anything.
I must compliment you highly on such an informative post! Very concise in its detailed information. This is a great list and a well thought out assignment. Looking forward to more of your insights and advice.
In a word–bravo…
To answer at least one of your questions: (note that this is my first reading of your blog but I will definitely check out all other posts)
My intent is to teach others, through my experiences, how to start a business when they have absolutely no idea where to start. If you have not already addressed the issue, I would like to see a post on home business scams vs. legitimate opportunities. If I see another survey biz I could just scream. Data entry, too. Maybe write about the qualities that make one a good fit for home business rather than just assuming one has little talent to offer. Address strengths that are required, etc.
Anyway, keep up the great writing..
and thanks for writing it.
Jay
http://www.TheSmallBusinessNanny.blogspot.com
What a lovely reference
:
“Edison may have exceptional talent but the approach towards his inventions came from only one thing I guess - determination. I also learned that Edison admitted that he had failed more than a hundred times before he hadthe first light bulb light on. And when asked about the failures, he humbly replied with something like this, “No, I did not fail. It just so happen that the process has more than a hundred steps”.”
Great Post. Determination is definitely one of the major keys to success. I especially liked the tips you gave for fostering creativity. I struggled for years trying to find a business that I could be passionate about and I finally found it when I started doing the things you outlined here.
Keep the great information coming.
Dakim
OMG, that’s one great post.I heard this quote, I think it’s from Ben Franklin, not exactly the words though- “I didn’t fail, I just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” The first time I saw this quote it really has inspired me in a lot of things..so does your post here.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers!
-joharin-
Great post! Thx!
That Sounds good, Thanks for the Share
Brian Cary
I like the saying “there is no failure…only feedback.” I think it is true in so many ways. Instead of getting caught in the downward of negativity you just take the positive from it and look forward. I think Edison said he didn’t fail 10,000 times when it came to the lightbulb but he said he found 10,000 ways that didn’t work. You really need to adopt that mindset.
Great post. Deciding on what niche to target is one of the most difficult and important decisions that someone who wants to earn extra money from home can make. Good advice.
First time I have seen your blog and what a great post that was!
Remember the saying “Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration”
So once you have a great idea you have to work hard to turn it into a viable product that doesn’t just exist in your head.
Great Article. I really thought about the read for one hour thing. One of the reasons I comment on blogs is to provide backlinks to my site.
I’ve noticed that when I’m more into researching and come upon a post that is good, like this one, I feel inspired to comment. Its a much better place to be in and I see investing an hour a day to learn about my field is also a great way to make link building and networking much more productive. I appreciate the post, thanks. Joe.
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Great Post. Determination is definitely one of the major keys to success. I especially liked the tips you gave for fostering creativity.
I am interested very much in the subject matter of your blog, it’s my first visit
I do agree to you to find out new customers the best places are forums, social networking sites etc. I am getting work from Getafreelancer and digitalpoint.
I do agree to you to find out new customers the best places are forums, social networking sites etc. I am getting work from Getafreelancer and digitalpoint
Some great information to be absorbed in this post. Thanks!
I always find it’s better to only read when you have to find inspiration. I don’t have the time to read an hour a day : (
This post is well written…thanks for the post!
Thank you so much for sharing this information. I have bookmarked this page for future use. All the best.
Great Blog with very good posts .Can you please tell me that how much time you take to create this wonderful blog,although i am new on internet but your work is very good and i appreciate your work.I also want to make an blog,hope you help me.
nice pict. thnx