It Starts with an Idea

I worked as a Senior Buyer for a Fortune 500 food company for several years. I saw the launch of products, managed changes in formulations, and implemented new supply chain processes. One of the keys to success across all these endeavors was a process. There was a way to get the work completed.

It was simple, actually. Every great product, change, and new process started with an idea. Or, more accurately, ideas. Then a plan is implemented to make the idea happen.

I meet with small business owners who are interested in making changes to their businesses, but are unsure of where to start. I will reiterate that it starts with an idea. I find that there are two common problems with ideas: not enough ideas or too many.

If you are in the first camp, no ideas, do some research. Look around and see what others are doing in your industry. Identify up and coming trends. Read about new ways to do what you are already doing. Ask your network for ideas. Write down what you come up with.

If you are in the second group, too many ideas, great! The advice here is similar. Write down your ideas. If you haven't conducted research or asked others for feedback, do that too.

Dream big. Talk to others. I've been surprised by the number of creative solutions that can be produced when I start sharing my crazy ideas with others.

This post marks the beginning of a series. In the next post, I will talk about what to do with your ideas and how to identify what will work best for you.

Stay tuned and if you're thinking about changes in your business, please reach out!