Key Messages
Unlock Your Creative Power with 21 Creative Business Ideas
Having a creative spirit is the foundation for coming up with great business ideas and launching successful products.
That’s why the 21 Days to a Big Idea Book Summary is such an invaluable resource.
It provides readers with simple but effective tricks to unleash their creativity and come up with many big ideas in a short amount of time.
In this book, you’ll get insight into the 21-day program developed by its author that will help you generate new business or product ideas.
You’ll also learn some facts about Thomas Edison and his personal techniques to foster creativity, as well as other interesting tricks like why a cooked chicken in the fridge can make for a great business idea, and how you can come up with completely new ideas in just 30 seconds!
The book summary helps show readers how they can easily awaken their creative juices and ignite big ideas – ultimately spurring new businesses.
How Brainstorming Can Help Us Conquer Creativity’s Most Daunting Challenge
Brainstorming is a great way to get your creative juices flowing and pinpoint what you’re truly passionate about.
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light bulb, was a huge proponent of brainstorming – he came up with over 100 ideas for inventions in one notebook entry alone!
When we brainstorm, we allow our creative, imaginative sides to come through.
We can generate ideas that are outside our usual way of thinking; this opens up all sorts of possibilities and allows us to explore areas of interest which may be separate from our profession or skill set.
Research into start-ups has even shown that those without direct technical knowledge in a particular field can often come up with innovative solutions just by brainstorming.
So if you’re feeling stumped on coming up with an idea or finding something you’re passionate about, grab a piece of paper and jot down 30 to 50 ideas – you’ll be amazed at what comes out!
How to Identify and Solve Everyday Problems for Financial Success
Many successful products start from an everyday annoyance.
Take the example of Mark Zuckerberg, who created Facebook to help him get a date.
Similarly, there are products out there that were created to solve identifiable problems about everyday life.
These may range from a dry mouth at night, feeling guilty after eating a sugary dessert or even having difficulty dragging luggage through a huge airport.
The way to identify potential solutions is to start off by asking “what is the problem?” throughout your day and being on the lookout for less than satisfactory experiences in your everyday life.
You might be surprised to find that many common issues have been solved, like the dry mouth problem which was addressed with oral rinses such as Biotene and Therabreath.
Bruce Johnson encountered difficulty breathing at night, which he solved with his invention of Breathe Right nasal strips – and it not only helped him but also many other people, resulting in a multi-million dollar business!
So remember next time you encounter an annoying issue – it could be the spark for some great ideas, leading to making something that solves universal problems!
Using Existing Technology to Generate Inspiring Ideas: Harness the Benefits of Innovation and Put Them to New Uses
When looking for game-changing ideas, you should consider how existing technology could be used differently.
For instance, remote-controlled drones have traditionally been used for warfare purposes.
However, they have also been utilized in other contexts and are quite useful due to their ability to get from point A to point B without any traffic or other obstacles in the way.
This could make them incredibly helpful for emergency situations, as they could deliver medical kits or life vests to those who need them urgently.
Similarly, Aerodesigns has developed a way for people to inhale vitamins, dietary supplements and caffeine directly through their nose and into their bloodstream instantly.
This technology could be used in unique ways – like combining the benefits of antioxidant yogic breathing with this inhalable supplement to develop a new deep breathing diet that could help many people become healthier and happier!
It’s up to entrepreneurs and inventors like yourself to recognize the potential in existing technologies – think about what it can do well and then use your imagination to apply it in new ways that would take it even further!
Let Your Inner Child & Rational Adult Work Together to Create Great Ideas
Bringing great ideas to life is all about helping your playful and rational sides work together.
Just look at Alexander Graham Bell: his idea of sending voices through a wire could have seemed like childish nonsense before its invention.
Social scientist George Land even did a study that showed the drop in creativity levels among 5-year-olds every five years.
At age five, nearly 100 percent of the children had high level creativity but only 12 percent of 15-year-olds had a high level of creativity – similar to most adults.
This means we need to find ways to channel our inner child in order to leave creative marks on this world!
That’s why it’s important to make wishes, just like those five year olds did.
What do you wish you could do? Big ideas come alive when there is an integration between our imaginative and analytical sides.
So take that childhood wish, bring your adult mind back into the equation, and start thinking of ways you can turn that wish into reality – even if they seem absurd at first!
The “And” Technique: Harnessing Creativity in Just 30 Seconds
The “and” technique is a powerful way to rapidly come up with new ideas and inventions.
This was demonstrated by the author as he challenged librarians of the Chicago Public Library to create an invention within 30 seconds.
He showed them the “and” technique and they were able to come up with original ideas like the “illuminated sock.”
This technique involves combining two words that are seemingly unrelated, such as “fish” and “film.” You can also customize it so that one of the words is fixed or related to your area of interest; for example, “flowers” and 20+ nouns or adjectives could be used.
Doing this could lead you to create a celebrity endorsement for a signature bouquet, similar to what Kay Jewelers did!
The “and” technique is an easy and quick way to tap into different areas of creativity, giving you access to creative solutions you may have never thought about before.
It’s a must-try for anyone who wants to brainstorm and come up with new ideas fast!
The Internet Is a Treasure Trove of Inspiration and Information – Unlock Its Potential through 6 Simple Questions
The internet is a great source of inspiration and can help open your mind to the most important industry trends.
With blogs and websites being constantly updated, there is an abundance of information out there to explore.
From Cassandra Daily’s free newsletter that keeps you informed about leading innovation fields to JWT’s yearly report on 100 groundbreaking products, the internet has it all!
And how can you make use of this readily available data? Start by asking yourself the key questions: who, what, when, where, why and how.
Use these questions to see how an idea could be applied in different contexts or take shape into a viable business.
This can be illustrated through the example of mindfulness training in classrooms – ask who else might need such training and what kind of mindfulness has potential.
When considering venues for teaching, you could propose weddings as a possibility.
Of course, you’ll also have to consider how this idea could become financially sound while still remaining popular with those interested in it.
In short, if you want to make the most out of industry-specific trends found online, use your creativity and ask thought-provoking questions – because who knows where they might take you?
The Playhouse Stroller: The Lighter, Safer, and More Entertaining Choice for Shopping Trips with Kids!
The billboarding technique can be a great way to discover the unique benefits of your product and make it stand out from the competition.
This method involves three main steps: first, clearly explain what your product is and how it solves customers’ problems; second, list all the advantages that your product has to offer, such as its lightweight and durable design; finally, pinpoint the strongest plus point and use it to create a catchy phrase that captures the advantages of your product.
Let’s look at an example: a cardboard stroller for children.
Among its many plus points are that it’s easy to move around, lightweight yet secure for babies, less likely to cause injury if it falls over and cost-effective.
There’s also a special creative aspect: parents and their kids can draw on the stroller, making shopping trips more fun for everyone!
Your billboard headline could be: The Playhouse Stroller: Go Shopping and Your Kids Will Have Fun Too!
In other words, applying the billboarding technique helps you identify what makes your product special using just three simple steps.
With this strategy in hand, you’ll be better equipped to find an edge in order to market your products successfully!
Wrap Up
The takeaway from 21 Days to a Big Idea is that by using engaging strategies such as brainstorming, the “and” technique and billboarding, you can come up with fresh business ideas.
The main actionable advice suggested in this book is that if you want to get those creative juices flowing, it helps to speak with people who are good at thinking playfully.
Talking to others, listening and discussing budding ideas can lead to transformative perspectives.
So don’t be afraid of those blank pages – unleash your creativity and open yourself up to chances for new business inspiration!
