There’s a startup buzz in the air—but without an idea, nothing can begin. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Economic Development, the number of startups in Italy continues to grow, surpassing 14,000. If your dream is to start one but you’re unsure where to begin, this article offers useful tools to help generate new business ideas.
Before the Idea, Find Your Purpose
Given the high number of people starting entrepreneurial ventures, it’s crucial to build your idea around a purpose—the core of your business, the deeper motivation that drives your company to create value for a wide audience.
Start by identifying the needs of a specific target group and how your product or service will meet those needs. This leads to the definition of your unique and differentiating value proposition—why what you want to create is special, and why you are the right person to make it happen.
In other words, your idea must be genuinely valid.
What’s Behind a Good Idea?
Behind every successful idea are key foundations:
- A clear understanding of your motivation for starting a business (whether it’s financial, personal freedom, or a lifestyle change)
- Awareness of the risks and commitment involved in launching and managing a business
- A positive mindset and strong determination for what will be a challenging but exciting journey
Running Low on Ideas? Use These Idea Generators
If you don’t have a business idea yet but want to start something, you can rely on tried-and-true frameworks. Here are two popular paths:
1. SCAMPER
An acronym that prompts creative thinking through specific questions:
- S – Substitute: What can be replaced in the product/service? (e.g., material, people, tools)
- C – Combine: What elements can be merged to create something new? (e.g., features, people, ideas)
- A – Adapt: What can be added to improve the product/service?
- M – Modify: What features can be changed? (e.g., color, shape, function)
- P – Put to another use: Can the product/service fulfill a different need?
- E – Eliminate: What can be simplified or removed without affecting functionality?
- R – Reverse: What happens if the production process is reversed or elements reordered?
2. Reverse Thinking
Unlike traditional idea generation, this method flips the perspective. Instead of solving a problem directly, you think about how to create the problem. This inversion helps uncover creative insights.
For instance, if you’re launching an online marketplace and want to retain users, think about how to drive them away (e.g., a complicated checkout process). Reverse thinking helps you avoid traps and design better solutions by stepping outside conventional frameworks.
Other Simple Yet Powerful Techniques
Besides structured methods, never overlook these straightforward yet effective strategies:
- Listening: Talk to people and gather impressions. You can also research keywords or social conversations on platforms like Twitter or Instagram.
- Mind Mapping: Write a keyword in the center of a blank page and branch out facts, stats, or ideas to explore hidden connections.
- Blue-sky Thinking: Jot down any idea, no matter how silly or trivial it seems. Let your thoughts run wild—this unleashes creativity.
Once you’ve found a business idea aligned with your purpose, bring it to life using these tips from this article:
👉 Business Idea: All the Steps to Make It Real
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