Are you stuck on acting on your business ideas? Do you think about an idea that may create an income stream only to dismiss it? Then a few months later, you notice someone has started a business similar to your ideas.
If you answered yes to all the above situations, you are procrastinating instead of taking action on your ideas.
Most of the population procrastinate on their business ideas. That was my habit until ten years ago. Tired of feeling frustrated about not acting on my ideas, I started taking action on my ideas.
It took trials and errors… reading and asking mentors before I gained the self-confidence to learn how to find ideas. Then act on turning them into income.
The problem most people have is not the lack of ideas. Most people face a lack of motivation to turn their ideas into an income stream.
Here are seven ways to find business ideas and motivation to generate income streams.
#1. Attend seminars and business events…
That will give you more ideas and resources to take action. You can get many great business ideas from business seminars about starting your business. If you are short of funds and can’t afford expensive seminars, why not look for free business seminars in your area? You can find free seminars to attend when you browse the classified ad section of your local newspaper. Late-night ads on cable TV and the Internet are also great places to find free seminars. When you attend these seminars, remember you’ll get offers to buy products. That’s ok. However, don’t get carried away. Remember that you are attending the seminar to get valuable ideas for your business.
#2. Listen to audio programs
Do you know that most people spend 542 hours per year commuting?
Do you know that if you did 542 hours of study on a subject, you’d earn a bachelor’s degree?
One of the easiest ways to get ideas you can turn into income is to invest in self-improvement audio programs.
The benefit of listening to self-improvement audio programs instead of a mindless radio talk show in your cars is that you’ll improve yourself faster.
Local libraries have audio libraries you can lend if you cannot afford to buy audio programs.
#3. Keep up to date on current magazines in your industry
Another way to get idea boosters for starting a business is by reading magazines to find the current trends in your industry. In addition to magazines in your industry, you should also read business and entrepreneurial magazines.
Magazines like
- Inc.
- Entrepreneur
- Fortune
- Money
- BusinessWeek
- Bloomberg
Are all magazines you can subscribe to or read in the reference section of your local library?
#4. Read inspirational and business books
Business books provide a rich source of ideas for starting a business. There are books about virtually all types of businesses that you can study to improve your business skills.
Motivational speaker and business philosopher Jim Rohm says, “You can judge a man’s bank account by the size of his library.
When it comes to reading books, you should look for books that are classics. They contain timeless success principles that you can find ideas for starting a business and success.
In addition, you can browse amazon.com or Barnes and Noble for popular and bestselling books on the business.
You must have a library of classic books to give you brain action and motivation.
Some of the books I recommend include
Think and grow rich by Napoleon hill
The science of getting rich by Wallace D Wattles
How to win friends and influence people – Dale Carnegie
The magic of thinking big by Gene Schwartz
The Wealthy Barber
The Richest Man in Babylon
Rich Dad Poor Dad
I reread these books at least once a year to get motivation and ideas for success
#5. Spend less time watching TV. Get Rid of your TV
Earl Nightingale, the bestselling author of the strangest secret, said that the TV is like a modern-day Roman Coliseum in our living room. There is no doubt that Television has brought development and improvement to our lives. The drawback of watching too much cable TV is that it dulls your creativity because it’s a passive activity.
The majority of television shows are trashy. Even watching the news could dampen your spirit and kill your enthusiasm for doing anything with so much negative news about the economy.
Instead of watching TV, I suggest reducing the hours you spend watching TV. Alternatively, get rid of your TV entirely.
Successful individuals recognize that the mind is the most powerful tool for success. Therefore successful avoid any material that will not enhance the quality of their life. They recognize the truth in the axiom “garbage in, garbage out”.
When you allow your mind to accept trashy material, you will end up behaving like what you feed on
#6. Spend time daily reading and meditating
In his book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen Covey identified rest and meditation as one of the habits of successful individuals. Covey says you need time to “sharpen your sword” in order words, you need time to rest and refresh.
Harvard business Review published an article on the effects of mediation on productivity. The article cited a study that showed that spending at least 30 minutes reading and meditating can double your productivity.
Meditating, praying, and reading inspirational books help to refresh your mind. When you are refreshed, you are more likely to think creatively.
#7. Embrace failure
One of the most significant reasons people fail to start a business is fear of failure. However, the real secret to succeeding in business can embrace failure. This means that you must view failing as part of the process of accomplishing your goals
Unfortunately, our educational system teaches children at a young age that failure is bad. This is for the truth.
Successful entrepreneurs have a common trait: The ability to fail, learn from their mistakes, and never give up until they accomplish their goals.
- Thomas Edison tried 10,000 times before he finally invented the electric bulb. Edison never allowed failure to get in his way.
- KFC founder Colonel Sanders had 1009 rejection letters before founding the legendary KFC chain of restaurants
The secret to using failure to succeed in business or any other venture in life is not taking the events personally. So next time you have an idea, and you start thinking about a failure…know that failing is part of the process of accomplishing your goals.
Here are some inspirational quotes about failure that you can find comfort in anytime you fail
“There is no such thing as failure. There are only results”- Anthony Robbins.
“The greatest glory in living lies in never falling, but in rising every time, we fall.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Whenever there is the possibility of failure, there is the possibility of success.”
“Failure is the fertilizer for success.”
Help others to solve their problems.
Another way to find great business ideas you can turn to income is to find solutions to problems for others.
By helping others solve their problems, you unleash your creativity in the process. Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want.”
Many great businesses started simply because their founder wanted to provide the solution to pressing problems.
Here are a few examples
- The Marriott hotel business started in 1927 because 27-year-old John Willard Marriott wanted to provide travelers and tourist root beer during Washington DC muggy summers. Marriot and his wife Alice started serving hot food and branched into lodgings. The rest is history.
- Ronnie and Ken Di Lullo started a $3 million business idea because they noticed their dog squinting in the sunlight. In their quest to solve their dog’s eye problem, they invented “Doggles,” a sunglass for dogs who are sensitive to sunlight.
The next time you are stuck on finding ideas or lose motivation… why not try one of these tips I have listed, and you’ll come unstuck.