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Finding a need

gfrye13

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I have been wracking my brain on how to find a need. I have searched forums but maybe my new eyes arent very good at spotting the needs. I try to even think of things that I have noticed people having problems with. I have even done surveys to social media sites. Im open for any advice that you would be willing to offer. Thank you for your help.
 
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psaco131

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Be open minded. Try reading the local newspaper Business section. Focus on the things you do daily, how can one make those tasks easier?
 

Trevor Kuntz

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Anytime you think of something, look it up on Google. Eventually it will come to you.
 

Bruce

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I'm in the same boat. I'm having trouble finding a new idea to create a business off of. It's been a good few days now and no idea has come to me. I think the problem is that I don't do much daily? I wake up, eat, work and sleep.
 
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PatrickP

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What do you guys do in your spare time?

Join 3 or 4 forums which are about that thing and read read read.

I mean read 8 - 10 hours a day. Get to know the other members and find a need. It may take days, weeks or months.
 

healthstatus

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needs just from this site:
programming
outsourcing
sourcing products (looks like PatrickP is on this)
SEO
business advice
real estate advice
rental management

every post that is a question (not about avatars, what hours you work or what you are reading) is a potential problem to solve, you have to look at it, decide whether it comes up often, then meets the requirements of being fastlane or not. Whenever you talk to people, that should be a question you ask, Is there anything in your life really frustrating that you wish there was a solution for? watch for patterns in the answer to that question.
 
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Mike39

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I have been wracking my brain on how to find a need. I have searched forums but maybe my new eyes arent very good at spotting the needs. I try to even think of things that I have noticed people having problems with. I have even done surveys to social media sites. Im open for any advice that you would be willing to offer. Thank you for your help.

I find it difficult to sit down with a pen and paper and brainstorm about ideas, 99% of the time, any idea i get comes to me while I am doing something active whether it be driving, working out, eating, sleeping. I never get ideas when I try to force myself and/or try to hard to come up with something. Also, I really try and evaluate EVERYTHING I see and ask myself what have they done, what market are they targeting, what is their strategy, whether it be commercials on tv, products on a store shelf, food that I eat, everyday items I use, etc. By evaluating what other people have done, you can identify if there is a need that hasn't been met or if there is a strategy that a company is using that you should try to implement into your business. Its like the very back part of my brain that is always subconsciously evaluating everything I see from day to day and just letting it all melt into a melting pot of ideas. That's just what has worked with me to come up with some ideas, and I say I've come up with 3-4 ideas with some awesome potential in the past couple of months!
 

BeingChewsie

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What do you guys do in your spare time?

Join 3 or 4 forums which are about that thing and read read read.

I mean read 8 - 10 hours a day. Get to know the other members and find a need. It may take days, weeks or months.


I really agree with this. In 2009 we started homeschooling our son and we found all kinds of service needs and gaps. So we started a business to meet them and just tonight decided to add another service based on a need not being adequately filled in that market place. I found these by joining forums, active forums and reading and reading and reading. It didn't happen overnight, it has taken us a few years just to get off the ground and get traction, so be patient, look at frustrations, complaints, pain-points, inconveniences...look to solve them for people. You don't have to solve big problems, solving simple problems, a sliver of a problem even, can be extremely profitable.

I tend to get great ideas when I don't try and when I just let myself relax. I'm notorious for jumping out of the shower to write down ideas on our white board in our office and for leaping out of bed in the middle of the night flipping on the light and writing stuff on the white board...no matter how off the wall it seems write it down, it may morph into something else really useful.

Sue
 

knc42

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needs just from this site:
programming
outsourcing
sourcing products (looks like PatrickP is on this)
SEO
business advice
real estate advice
rental management

Currently working on the SEO Need.

Steve
 

Yussef

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I see needs in everything because you can break just about anything down into parts that someone has to design, assemble, advertise, ship, supply, and sale. Even something as simple as a stop sign. The metal, The reflective lettering, and the hardware have to come from somewhere and usually they all come from different places and end up being assembled by the guy that's selling them in bulk. Anything tangible that you buy had to go through many steps before it wound up in your hands. A good exercise would be to try to think in reverse and research a product of interest and follow the steps it took to make it to your hands all the way back to where it was manufactured. Then ask yourself which one of these steps can you see yourself doing well. Then research how businesses get started doing that and what it would cost to get started. You might find an idea. This can be applied to many things to find an opportunity.
 

gfrye13

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I dont know hwy the forum didnt update me that it was this many responses. I would like to say thanks for all the great ideas. It is so weird how my mind has gone into problem solving mode. I seem like im finding needs in everything I hear now. I will take all of your ideas and roll them up into a big study guide and get to work. MJ DeMarco'S book has created a fastlane monster. Out to solve the worlds problems
 
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Hassassin

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great thread :smilielol:! definitely going to implement what ive learned !

Thanks guys =)
 

Hassassin

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I am doing something active whether it be driving, working out
Hey mike you mentioned working out ?
I usually work out alone and i feel like im expending too much energy when lifting the dumbbell to start pressing
i had an idea about creating a contraption that allows you to hand a dumbbell to yourself when doing the dumbbell press.
so you lie down and jus remove the weight and start pressing, for a more effective work out.You have the same problem ?
 

Luk391

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Hey mike you mentioned working out ?
I usually work out alone and i feel like im expending too much energy when lifting the dumbbell to start pressing
i had an idea about creating a contraption that allows you to hand a dumbbell to yourself when doing the dumbbell press.
so you lie down and jus remove the weight and start pressing, for a more effective work out.You have the same problem ?

^

Look up Dumbell Power Hooks
 
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MMatt

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Hey mike you mentioned working out ?
I usually work out alone and i feel like im expending too much energy when lifting the dumbbell to start pressing
i had an idea about creating a contraption that allows you to hand a dumbbell to yourself when doing the dumbbell press.
so you lie down and jus remove the weight and start pressing, for a more effective work out.You have the same problem ?
http://www.home-gym-bodybuilding.com/image-files/ironmaster-spotting-stand-review-5.jpg
 

Mike39

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Hey mike you mentioned working out ?
I usually work out alone and i feel like im expending too much energy when lifting the dumbbell to start pressing
i had an idea about creating a contraption that allows you to hand a dumbbell to yourself when doing the dumbbell press.
so you lie down and jus remove the weight and start pressing, for a more effective work out.You have the same problem ?

I don' really have a problem with clearing my dumbbells, I just kick them off of my knees and can clear my max with that. I would buy something like power hooks or your product just for the convenience of not having to kick them up when I am really tired, but not for $60.

[video=youtube;622ku8i0M14]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=622ku8i0M14[/video]
(No this ^, is not me)
 
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theBiz

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This is dangerous advice... if anyone has to tell you.. dont do it, someone mentioned SEO, if you know nothing about SEO dont go near it, especially now, extremely competitive market with no clear path of where it will be next year.

What are your skills? Start locally, some people are great buyers and sellers, if you are good an negotiating and reselling this may be something for you... once you LEARN this skill and realize your good at it, THEN you apply it to markets with holes in it... Dont take anyones advice.. first go make a couple bucks, some people are workers, some are middle men, some are sellers, some are creators... please find your place first.

Some millionaire creators are not good middle men and some middle men are not great salespeople. Find your strength, once you find a market identify how your skill set will help you penetrate the market, then what other components do i need to successfully bring my plan to life?

The biggest reason for failure is not having a plan, not identifying your strengths and weaknesses. Without this what are you going to do throughout your daily functions.. just wing it?


I would say right now slow down and dont pressure yourself, try some things to do locally and see what happens. There will be lessons learned even within the local attempts you make which will be excellent learning experience. For instance you may start power washing houses then realize you are sick and tired of doing X and Y... hey you know what is there a solution to make X and Y easier... do i have the skills or knowledge to create the solution and bring it to guys like myself in this business right now, can i acquire the things i need? Some times good ol work makes great entrepreneurs, many lessons learned in the field.

I would say always be thinking, when driving down the street, open your eyes, ask more questions..

I know no one wants to hear it but most people dont just "jump" into entrepreneurship and make it work, it takes years sometimes decades for people to get it right, just stop watching tv, you should have no free time, always research case studies of successful businesses and become more personable.... maybe find a mentor (someone successful to help guide you).

good luck.
 

JasonR

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I'm struggling with the same thing right now...just keeping my ears to the ground.

But I don't know if I should be seeking out needs 24-7, or just living life and keeping a look out for them. It feels weird just coming home off work and not working on something or searching for something...
 

andyredsox

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Starting a business is never done overnight.

It takes much research and diligence.

What are you good at? What are the things that interests you?

From there, you can find a need through thorough research.

You may not hit it big at once but you can grow it as you get better in business strategy.

Good luck!
 

Ali

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Just look at what's gone online recently and received a thumb up from the market and then start anticipating what similar or related business that's not currently being offered online and could be taken online.
 

Roberteking78

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It's not a hard thing to have an original and creative idea. You just have to have knowledge and experience in a lot of things. When you have those two things in abundance you have the ability to connect the dots and create things that other people would not.

Hell, ideas are easy to come by once you are well studied and experienced. Taking action is the harder part and that's not so hard either.

But all said and done your best ideas will come to you when you're out reading something new or experiencing something new and you suddenly realize "OMFG that other thing I did just the other day (or learned) would be great with this" and if the cards are set up right no one else has figured it out yet and suddenly everyone thinks you're a genius.

That's pretty much it.
 
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andyredsox

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What type of business do you plan on doing anyway?

Do you have the knowledge and skill to pursue it?

Do something about it and stop waiting for an idea to come into your lap.

Research on that particular field and plan out.

Set a time table/ schedule to finally hit it off the ground.

Good luck man and let us know!
 

SaasPassion

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When you are looking for ideas, look for them in the things you do on a daily basis. Try to understand which points you would like to have better and on which need they meet.

Good ideas is not something that comes in an instant, you have to adopt an approach to life where you always think about how things can be improved. It is also important that you do it out of a place of love for the world and a genuine desire to improve and change. It is very easy to get sucked into a negative mentality where one is not satisfied with reality.

So if you want to be the one who always thinks about how things can be improved, you will first of all start appreciating the wonderful technology that our modern world offers. Only then, think about how you can contribute your part and make it even more wonderful.
 
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nothingness

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I see needs constantly, just in most of the cases I'm not big enough to fulfill them.

For example watched a video earlier about a guy who has his own helicopter and it was stranded in the mountains in the snow. You have to de-ice helicopter blades before you can use them, the rest gets de-iced by the engine turbine exhaust gases.
People have been using helicopters since the 60's and still no one has invented a helicopter blade that can't de-ice itself or is made from / has something inside it etc, that stops it getting iced over in the first place.
Same with jets, they need de-icing before flight yet you would think there's some kind of paint you could add that stops the ice from icing in the first place.
Imagine if you invented a solution for that, you could literally print money.
 

nothingness

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Another need. Filter out the victim mentalities (like the first review), and dig deeper and people literally tell you what they want. Meetup is rated "Bad" with 1.4 / 5 on Trustpilot

If you could build something with a good relevant domain name ready for when/if the world "goes back to normal" then you would probably do quite well. Meetup.com gets 14 million visits per month...in semi quarantine pandemic.
 

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