Purpose
This activity is designed to hep you identify several different business ideas.
Background Information
We can play games to discover and explore various business ideas.
Mix and Match
What two products could be brought together for the first time to create a new one? Don’t be afraid to get unconventional. You can think about walking down the aisle of your favorite store and you should start begin to build a collection of possible ideas. The ideas are not coming from copying the products you see, but by combining products. For example, you might consider combining a flashlight with a screwdriver. It’s now possible to work in dark areas without having to hold a flashlight.
Just last year, three of my students came up with the idea to combine a seed paper with greeting cards to create an eco-friending greeting card that allowed their customers to grow a plant from the card.
Solve It
Tune into the world around you and question everything. How could things be better? Listen to the complaints of your friends and family. What difficulties do they encounter in daily life? What annoyances do you deal with in your own life? Identify problems, and start throwing out solutions. A lot of entrepreneurs and inventors work this way.
To help you identify problems, consider the sustainable goals the United Nations published. Click here
One of my favorite examples is a product one of my students created to help people better organize their stuff. He noticed his wife was always rifling through her purse, unable to find what she needed. In response, he developed a bag insert with adjustable elastic bands that hold items in place so that they’re easy to find.
What If?
What if you could listen to music while swimming? What if you could throw a Frisbee three times the length you can now? Don’t be afraid to let your mind wander and dream. What do you really wish were possible? One of my students wondered: “What if I could track how and when my children grow?” As an alternative to pencil markings on the wall, he created a magnetic height chart for the fridge.
The more you exercise your creative muscle, the easier it will be to regularly create new products and services that improve people’s lives.
Procedures
Step 1
Select one of the games above and use that game to have a team discussion. Use this method for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Assign one member of your team to take notes. Make sure you record the startup idea and how you came up with that idea.
Step 3
Select another game or method and repeat steps 1 and 2.
Step 4
Each member writes their blog. Respond to the following: What ideas did you come up with and how did these idea come about.
Team Value is $100 per idea
