How to storm your way through start-up ideas
In our
occasional series offering useful hints and tips to small business and
entrepreneurs, James Simmons, Marketing Manager at Mail Boxes Etc. UK, shares
his advice on coming up with creative ideas

Are you looking for a business idea? A lot of people
want to work for themselves, and more of us are doing it each year. According
to the Federation
of Small Businesses, at the start of 2016 there were
a record 5.5 million private sector businesses – an increase of 97,000 since
2015.
SMEs have a lot of financial clout too: the combined annual turnover of
small and medium-sized businesses accounted for 47% of all private sector
turnover in the UK.

If you’re aiming to be one of 2017’s start-up
successes, you’ll already have your thinking cap on – but how do you channel
your creative spark, whether it’s to help identify the big idea or hone your
new product to perfection?
If you’re struggling to shape your business concept,
ask yourself the following questions:
- Is your business going to be
based around you – your personality, your experience, your skills and/or
knowledge?
- Or are you looking for a great
idea that’s going to appeal to enough people to generate an income for you and
your employees?
- Are you creating something that
people don’t even know they want yet?
- Or have you identified a need or
a ‘gap in the market’ that you believe you can fill with your product or
service?
- Do you want to employ people,
outsource, curate (for example, set up an online marketplace that offers
products or services from a range of suppliers), or be a sole trader or
freelancer?
The answers to all these questions should help
focus your thinking.

Once you’ve got your idea, you’ll find lots of
websites online with helpful ideas. Entrepreneur.com is a great resource for
budding businesspeople, with inspiring case studies, ‘how to’ articles, plenty
of ‘top tips’ and a strong focus on identifying the business idea
that’s going to work for you.
Or perhaps you’ve already got your business idea
and you want to get creative about promoting the business itself, or a new
product or service.

Companies like NowGoCreate specialise in bringing out creative
skills in everyone – from individuals to boards of directors. They believe
creativity can be learned and the process applied wherever it’s needed.

Read
more about how to inject some creativity
into your business and why it’s vital at Business News Daily, which specialises
in small business solutions and inspiration.
Once you’re ready to launch your business, product
or service to the market, don’t forget that here at Mail Boxes Etc. we have a
host of indispensable business back-up services. From company formation to a
business mailbox or virtual address, and from printing your corporate
stationery to supporting your mail order business with product fulfilment,
we’re here to help.
Our stores are conveniently located on the high street, and
we really do go the extra mile for our small business customers.