Last updated on September 22nd, 2017 at 11:04 pm

Here at U-Printing, we realize that many of our customers are individuals who are operating small businesses. To that end, as a service to our customers, our Editorial Staff will be presenting a series of articles about creating, operating and growing a small business. The following is the first of the series, focusing on the essence and foundation of any small business, the business idea.

The Start-up Idea

A pair of Stanford PhD students have an idea for a way to improve the way we search the internet. A Five and Dime store owner in Arkansas decides it might be more profitable to sell more product with a price that is slightly lower than his competitors. A Seattle businessman buys a shop that sells coffee beans and gambles that people will go into a shop just to buy pre-made cups of coffee and espresso.

Most people reading this will understand that the three sentences in the previous paragraph refer to Google, Wal-Mart and Starbucks respectively. Three massive companies and world wide brands which started as small businesses. Each was the result of one or two (in the case of Google) people taking a great idea from a simple concept to a multi-national conglomerate. But at the very heart of each success was one single idea.

Every small business begins with that one idea. The goal of this article is to try to help you find your breakthrough idea by looking at certain successful businesses and the genesis of each idea.

1. Does the world need another Starbucks?

Or more simply put, don’t simply copy what is successful. Make it better. It is very unlikely that you can launch a business which is identical to a successful brand and experience the same level of success. Look for variations on a theme or a certain niche which is not being covered by existing businesses. Taking an existing facet of a business in a new direction or into a new area is one very good way to create a successful business of your own.

As noted above, Google is a great example of a company which took an existing successful business (i.e… internet search engines) into a new direction. Before Google, we were accustomed to Search Portals full of news and advertising likes Excite, Yahoo, et al. Google came in with a fresh new take on search. They focused on simplicity and boiled it down to a text box and a “Search Button” that we all press at least a few times every day.

This can be applied on a smaller scale as well. For example, an attorney who is a motorcycle enthusiast can direct his personal injury practice towards accidents involving motorcycles. Essentially, instead of being just one of a thousand personal injury attorneys, you can become the go-to-guy for motorcycle personal injury cases. The key is to take something that many people may do but do it in a way that is entirely different than anyone else.

2. Can You Believe they Pay Me for Doing This?

Who wouldn’t love to have their career be doing what they enjoy as recreation. Many small businesses are the product of an individual taking his or her hobby and finding a way to make money from the hobby.

Consider the movie news site, Aint it Cool News. Started in 1996 by Harry Knowles, who created a small movie website which he filled with his own movie reviews as well as information taken from movie gossip newsgroups. Eventually, the site was so successful that it is now a major resource for entertainment news and celebrities like Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone are regularly interviewed on the site.

Similarly, a savvy person can take their hobby and turn it into a business with some hard work and good planning. Like Computers? So why not start doing computer repair or networking as a business? Are you the person that everyone says is the best cook around? Why not test that theory out by starting a small catering business like Martha Stewart did or selling your own brand of cookies or cakes (yes, there really is a Mrs. Fields).

3. Why didn’t I think of that?

There are some ideas that are so simple and make so much sense that when someone else comes up with them, you can’t figure out how no one else came up with it before.
Think about Myspace for a moment. It is such a simple idea, a website which allows people to make a personal page and communicate with others with similar pages. But even though there had been social networking sites before as small parts of larger networks, no one thought to have a community that was just a series of personal pages and the biggest element of all, Myspace friends. A simple idea that with work has become an essential element of the lives of millions of people.

The point with this particular type of idea is that sometimes the simplest ideas are those which can explode as a business. When looking at your ideas for a business don’t be too quick to dismiss an idea that seems too simple or obvious to work. If your idea looks like something that could be needed and isn’t being offered somewhere else, then maybe it may be just the thing to base your business on.

4. Think Outside the Box

Who would think that a website that allows you to upload random home videos and old TV shows would be not only a success, but something so powerful that it could become a major media channel for Presidential Campaigns? Apparently 3 former Pay Pal employees did and 1.6 billion dollars later, the creators of YouTube look to have been right.

This sort of idea is the converse of the previous one. It’s the idea that is so out there that it doesn’t seem like it would work. The lesson to be learned here is that a good idea is a good idea, even if it seems outlandish on the surface. If you have an idea that you really believe in, even if it doesn’t seem to be perfect on the surface, then maybe you should explore it further. It might be a little crazy, but it also just might work.

Conclusion

As you can see from the examples above, ideas can come from so many places and still be successful. Don’t be afraid to present your brilliance to the world, as crazy as it may seem at first. However, if you have a genuinely great idea, you can be sure that others are considering it too.

Creating an actual business from an idea requires taking things a step further. In our next article, we’ll present 5 Rules for a Successful Start from our very own CEO! Stay tuned!

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