As a business owner, you’ve seen it before: Your whiteboard is covered in ink, and your mind is overloaded with possibilities. Coming up with ideas is easy; effectively putting them to work is where even the brightest leaders find a challenge. Your list of ideas might be a mile long, but how do you know for sure if any of them are worth putting into fruition?
Here are some surefire ways to bring your ideas to life. Many of these are overlooked or dismissed as unhelpful. Let’s revisit them and take a look at why these methods can help you carry out only your best ideas.
Overthink it a little.
Think your idea is perfect? Try again. Some say there is no such thing as an original idea but that all of our ideas are consciously or unconsciously generated by what already exists. There’s nothing wrong with finding inspiration in what already exists, especially if it works well and has a proven success record.
However, your idea truly becomes your own based on the way you execute it. How do you put that idea into motion? Get creative with the ways you use the idea. Try it in a different setting, or use an unexpected method. Execution is your first step and is what determines whether or not the idea will grow to its fullest potential. Be innovative from the start, and consider the idea’s different facets one by one. What makes your idea unique? Tackle that, and make it the focal point.
Get visual.
Ideas are multifaceted: The way they look in your head may not be the same as they do in an Excel document. That’s not to say you should just regurgitate everything on a whiteboard. Add images into the mix. Brainstorm how you’d execute your idea through thumbnails, sketches or a process flowchart before putting it into action. Even if your idea is abstract, you’ll see it differently if you create a visual map of your plan that outlines your expectations and goals.
For instance, digital marketing strategies usually take the form of word-heavy documents that describe your plan. Switch it up by using spiderweb maps, or create a colorful graph that visualizes your progress and stirs up creativity.
Personally, vision boards help me generate an effective action plan. I organize current and upcoming projects using metal boards and clients’ names attached to magnets. When a project is started, that client’s magnet is moved to another part of the board. I can easily compare what’s left to what’s been completed.
Create your own method to turn your ideas into something concrete. This way, you can identify weak areas that may pose an issue later down the road, allowing you to anticipate needed changes.
Ask others to help you.
Many times, small business owners get accustomed to going it alone. But having a new pair of eyes and ears involved in the process can enhance and refine your ideas so that they’re optimized right as they’re put into action. Your knee-jerk reaction is likely to discuss your ideas with trusted co-workers. But use them as a backup.
The truth is, sometimes the best final products come from the strangest ideas. Talk with people who provide fresh perspectives. Call a family member or friend who can provide their thoughts. Present the idea to them, and see what they would do with it if it was theirs. Even if these individuals aren’t well informed about your idea’s topic, you might be surprised by their insight. At first, you might feel resistant to changes they suggest, but as you carry them out, you might discover something you never would have done yourself.
Test it out.
Once your idea is fleshed out enough, it’s time to test the waters and see how it holds up. Design a beta version of your concept, and test it out with a few loyal customers. Framing the test as a prelaunch trial for “a select few” may even help you curate brand ambassadors in the process. Sure, it’s risky, but you’ll know right away whether your idea has value or not. Additionally, a test run gives you the chance to collect consumer feedback and identify what works and what doesn’t.
After testing the beta, scrutinize your idea to see where the pitfalls are. Think openly and critically about how customers reacted and the ways you can improve on that reaction. If the feedback was less than satisfactory, you get a second chance before a full launch. Addressing these issues and concerns from the get-go will help you immensely later on when the finalized idea is carried out.
Run with it.
Maybe the beta didn’t work out, or no one liked your concept, or maybe that design just doesn’t look right. When something isn’t working, we are tempted to immediately abandon our approach and change direction. Running a business is time-consuming, and chasing after an elusive idea may seem like a fool’s errand. After all, your whiteboard is full of other great ideas, so discarding one won’t hurt, right?
While refocusing your idea sometimes leads to an acceptable outcome, try first to continue the course. Accept that “perfect” ideas are few and far between. A stubborn idea may be a sign of something incredible — push through the difficulty, and see what appears on the other side. It might just be the result you’ve been dreaming of.
With these tips in mind, revisit the ideas on your drawing board, and take them in a new direction. After all, executing your ideas is the defining first step toward bringing about something incredible.