Many people ask me what they should invent. I can’t answer them, but I try to get them to see products and services in a way that will help them decide what to invent.
Even a hobby can be turned into a business. I don’t mean that you should invent a product because you think it would be a good idea. I’ve done that many times and those inventions are still sitting in my laboratory. For every product there must be a market. If you have an idea, do market research and find a market or product similar to what you are considering, then you can get started.
By “product” I mean either a hard product or a service. If you are writing newsletters for many charities and do it so well that other people hear about you and want to contract your services, then your service becomes a marketable product. If you are a very organized person who lives in an area where your organizational skills would be valuable, you can turn them into a marketable product by organizing people’s homes and offices. You can become an entrepreneur because you are excellent at knitting, crocheting or needlepoint, common skills that some people are able to turn into a marketable product either by hand making custom products or by putting together kits for other needleworkers of your original work.
A woman in a city close to where I live became fascinated with decorating eggs Ukrainian style, using vibrant colors. She was also intrigued with patchwork quilt designs. She combined the two and has turned her egg-decorating hobby into a very successful business. Her egg designs and styles have turned into beautiful artwork that has become jewelry, ornaments and greeting cards. This creator has turned a hobby into a very profitable business.
Suppose you are clever at fixing things around the house. Many people are not and would gladly pay to have someone fix the many things around an office or home that break down. As long as you are good with people, show up when you are supposed to and can really fix things, you would probably be able to turn this skill into a marketable product.
In each of these cases you would start as with any other product or service. You have to know that there is a market for your “product.” And you would either have to design a prototype or put together a plan to offer your service to your target market. You should try the product or service out on members of your family or immediate community. In the inventive field this is called a focus group.
From these groups you can gather suggestions on how to make your product or service more consumer-friendly, how much to charge, how often to provide your service and what it should look like, etc. You would need an initial investment to buy supplies and you would need to market your services or finished products…so yes, even hobbies can turn creative people into entrepreneurs!
Article © Copyright 2001 Stanley I. Mason. Syndicated by Paradigm News, Inc.
