HOW TO COME UP WITH A BUSINESS IDEA

“Do not find customers for your products; find products for your customers.” Most times when people think of starting a business, they usually make the mistake of first thinking of the customer population and the weight of the pockets of their intended customers. The heart of every good business is the product. What are you selling? Why are you selling it? Why would your customer buy that product? How will you present this product to consumers?

Most business ideas are borne out of the need for a particular service. Look within your community. What is lacking in your community? What service can you provide to close that gap? Are you living in an area that is not accessible? What kind of transportation can you provide to make your area more accessible? Do you work in an area and have difficulty getting what to eat during lunch break? That is a business opportunity staring at you. Do you live in an area where a lot of palm oil is manufactured and the waste products just disposed? That is your business opportunity. Are you part of a community that disposes tons of metal cans? Those cans can be recycled back to metal and sold to be used in production of other material. That is opportunity staring at you. With everyday new innovation in technology, large amounts of electronics are discarded every day. Have you any idea that gold, copper and other minerals are embedded in the chips and other parts of those electronics? There are companies and organizations around the world recycling these products. I know of a young man in Ghana who actually manufactured a good sofa from used plastic bottles. Do you live in an area with many mothers who have no place to keep their babies? Start a day care center. There are a lot of old, weak, sick people in Cameroon. In your community; you could train personnel and provide permanent home service for these people. Another opening for business provided to today’s youths is the creation of Mobile Apps. Is there rampant robbery in your neighborhood? You can create and market an app which a victim can use in case they are attacked. Create an app which could be used through a smart phone to trace stolen vehicles or electronics.  A lot of Cameroonians die because they cannot access health care right away in case of emergencies or accidents. You can start a small company where people register with you and pay a yearly or monthly sort of insurance. Find an app or means by which your customers can reach you in case of emergency. You can start with two vehicles. Hire or train people with the necessary first aid who can act smartly and get to you customers. Cameroon has a very fertile soil. With the level of literacy in Cameroon, it is time to look beyond the hoe and cutlass. There are several new ways of growing crops for commercial purposes. It is time our generation embraces scientific methods of farming. Israelis grow large amounts of crops in the desert why can’t we? Agriculture which is perceived as dirty is the gold of Cameroon. There are new ways of commercially growing Food animals. Let us embrace it. Can you run poultry on a large scale? Can you raise pigs commercially? Have you a gift or talent you think is marketable? Are you a physicist, scientific genius or computer whiz? What can you create and market that will solve a problem in your community?

The greater the problems in your community, the greater are the business opportunities. The idea of going into a business might be overwhelming at first. You are not alone. Anyone who is running a successful business will tell you they were afraid and skeptical at first, but know this; ‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but the knowledge that there is something better.’ Do not be deceived by ideas that are perceived to make you rich overnight. We encourage business opportunities that are going to provide real chances to make money in 2015 and beyond – businesses that, done right, in the right place and for the right people may be profitable enterprises for years to come.   Once you think you have the right business idea, many things come into play. The next thing will be coming up with a plan business. Before you fully go into business, you will have to test run it on a small scale.

What makes the difference for good business men and women is packaging and presentation. We could both be carrying out professional photography or running a hair salon, but presentation distinguishes us. I encourage you to stimulate your mind. Start working on getting a business idea that suits your community. We are waiting for your feed backs. In the subsequent talks, we will teach you about how to create a business plan, present it and finance it. We are here for you. Talk, share and stay motivated.

“YOU MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS YOU NEVER TAKE”

Wayne Gretsky