HOW DO YOU FIND THE MR RIGHT OF IDEAS?

There was a time when I was in between businesses, having just sold the English Teddy Bear company to Hamleys, when I wanted the next thing I did to be ‘The One’, you know the ‘Mr Right of ideas’.

But how do you know the difference between one that looks good on the dating site or the ones your friends think is perfect for you. Do you go for the quick, money-making, fuck buddy that you aren’t really committed to but too scared to let go of? Or, do you go for the one you would introduce to your parents because you know it will make them happy?

Then there is the one you want to have babies with regardless of what your parents or anyone else think!

Or maybe you’ll just go back to your ex, because well - it’s safe.

Hmmm. That’s a whole lot of alternatives and a whole lot of confusion. All of them have something appealing but which one are you going to go with?

Let’s assume for now we are going to do them all one at a time.

Which are you going to leave behind knowing full well that someone else might come along and take that idea as soon as you put it down?

There are a few different approaches you can take to see if your idea works.

• Just do it. Fly off the cliff, open your wings and let the wind take you where it’s going.

• Analysis the fuck out of it and market research it within an inch of its life.

• Have a little think and try and see through the oxytocin (those notorious love hormones) which feel more like adrenaline in business and just see if there are some obvious duds and let’s get rid of them first.

There are aspects of every idea we might not like but that’s different. Don’t go into daycare if you don't like kids or be a vet if animals aren't your thing.

These are super obvious examples but it’s the more subtle things that get to us if we don't identify them early. Things like being in a high-pressure environment if you prefer an easier work/life balance.

I once tried an MLM company because it looked like such a smart idea on paper but I just couldn’t deal with the monthly cutoff process. It made me feel like I had to pressure people to get what I needed. They work for lots of people. They just didn’t work for me.

So let’s look at that list of relationships.

1. Something that looks good on a dating site.

Other people's businesses can look amazing, especially on social media. Working in fabulous locations and making all sorts of money in 10 mins a day but how do you know if it's for you?

The secret to all great relationships is to truly love yourself. Don’t get caught up with how everybody else's business looks, think about what really lights you up.

2. The one that your friends think is perfect for you.

One of my friends thinks that I should be selling rose quartz dildos because I’m good at writing, into sex and like natural things! Well yes, I really do like all those things but I’m not really interested in that being my business.

Some things you do are just great hobbies or interests or fun that you don’t really want to share with the world. Like what would I post myself doing on social media. 🤷‍♀️😊.

3. The quick money-making fuck buddy.

For sure we all need cashflow and sometimes we need it desperately. But there are dramas involved with some fuck buddies. Yes, the sex might be great, but the trouble that comes with it can be out of control and just not worth it. Be careful not to chase cashflow with something so wrong for you that you actually never get near your real dreams

4. The one you think your parents would like

Are you doing something just because you think others would approve? Please don’t.

I know you can convince yourself that you love it and it’s perfect for you and ticks all the boxes but you are left feeling a little dead inside?

That dead feeling doesn’t go away. It only gets worst. Follow the breadcrumbs of your heart. We all know exactly what it is we want but sometimes it gets pushed a very long way down so that we don’t even really remember it.

The only thing I have ever really regretted in business is not following my intuition, second-guessing myself and putting up with stuff that I should have drawn a big fat line through. I put up with some shitty things by telling myself they were for the ‘ greater good’ but it always ends up hurting you and even the others you were trying to protect. Be true to you.

5. Go back to the old one that feels safe.

Yes, I’ve done that too but it’s not worth it and it didn’t last long. If it had been great in the first place then why did you want out?

The example this time is staying in the job you hate because you are scared to go it alone. Or maybe you stuck your head over the parapet with your idea and you got a knockback, people laughed or you didn’t make the sale/ money you thought you would.

Don’t be knocked back by the first hurdle and go running back to safety. If you need that job for security and your family depends on you then yes make a step-by-step escape plan, but don’t just settle.

It’s your one precious life and you deserve to have a business that supports your dreams, creativity and the values you have for yourself.

6. The one you want to have babies with regardless of whatever anyone else thinks.

Yes, you guessed it this is my personal favourite. Relationships and business can get really tough. It’s important to choose something you really believe in for those ‘what have I done’ moments that come to us all.

That question, when you haven’t chosen the authentic thing for you, is a nightmare. When you know deep down you are doing the right thing for you some deep breaths and a good nights sleep will answer that question for you.

So how do you recognise this idea amongst all your others?

It’s a difficult thing to explain, so I will use myself as an example and tell you a story.

I have a bucket load of business experience from the outrageously successful to the spectacular failure.

When the going really got tough for me in my last bbusiness I couldn't find the help and support I desperately needed. I wanted be the business coach I wish I had had.

But it felt like there were a million coaches around. Even though I had a huge amount of actual experience I wondered if I should call myself a strategist or troubleshooter or a whole life transformation ballerina. It was really confusing and the feedback when I explained what I did was "Isn't that business coaching?"

Then I got stuck on who my customer was. All the online wisdom out tells you, you have to niche the sh*t out of yourself. I started getting very specific about what I could do but there was something else going on that was getting in my way.

I was feeling fearful, make that terrified, to put myself out there. The failure of the last business affected a lot of people negatively.

Could I really do this? I kept asking myself. Questioning if it was a good idea. But I just couldn’t let this idea go.

Sometimes ideas don't make any sense except to you. Sometimes they are counter-intuitive. Sometimes they are difficult and scary. but when you can’t let the idea go despite all the hurdles, you know this is the right idea for you.

Through being a business coach, and we get to bring all our experience into one place called Content Jam.

So this was the development of an idea through to a practical reality with all its complications and changes, and ups and downs you go through along the way.

It’s a process but if I didn’t start somewhere I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. My thoughts became ideas and then actions. Your process might not look anything like mine but only you will know if it’s what you really want.

Just like with the question of M Right, the same thoughts apply to your business. There is no such thing as a perfect business idea just the one that is perfect for you.

We are creative entrepreneurs with years of experience building successful and rewarding businesses for ourselves and others. Now we want to focus on You.

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