How to start generating excellent ideas?

Question

What is good and fast way to start generating excellent business or new product ideas?

I work as director of development for a web development company and I have created a "Think Tank" application for everyone in our company to submit ideas. However, that did not go very well, because no one is taking his or her time to submit a new idea.

I would like to know what a good method to generating ideas is, it does not have to be a specific category, I am fine with all sorts of categories; ideas just have to come.

Answer 1

To generate ideas in my company we get together over Pizzas and Beers and brainstorm. Make sure you do it right (no bad ideas, no negative responses) and have enough people in the room in a relaxed athmosphere. Have a whiteboard there to capture ideas and someone to write down the ideas.

The 'think tank' or Suggestion box never works because ideas can't be developed by others (apart from the originator). However, for your brainstorming session take some of the ideas that you got in your 'Think Tank' and start to brainstorm them, i.e. get the others in the room to develop and enhance the idea.

Answer 2

Let's start with the fact that you are asking for a person's intellectual property without offering compensation.

Your company can & most likely will be sued if you then use these ideas without a contractual agreement & payment. Especially if your company profits from thier idea; however, profiting from isn't the only criteria for payment nor is it required for sueing for use of intellectual property.

This having been said & hopefully adjusted for in your future actions, you should invest in a Quality Action Program. Companies who have invested in these types of programs have saved alot of money with ideas that streamline various process & create environments without duplication or un-necessary overlap (that cost alot of money)

In addition be VERY, VERY careful to indicate in employee manuals what you consider to be your company's unique intellectual property... otherwise it is fair game when an employee that was involved with _________ (fill in the blank with something that you feel is yours) leaves the company. If an employee came up with the idea or created the product, then that idea was, is & always will be thier intellectual property no matter what, when, why, when, or how

Answer 3

Set up a Facebook Fan/Like page. It's free to do and you can reach thousands of people in your area. If you wanted to take it one step further you could create a Facebook ad. It depends on what your bottom line would be; cost of the ad compared to your commission. Find blogs and forums that talk about alarm systems and start posting. I started advertising for a market research company a year ago and it was rough. Use the internet and do a lot of research. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Ideas are a dime a dozen – sorry if you think your special.

Investment people really don’t care what you sell – but no one will touch you until you show at least a year of profitable earnings.A good IP lawyer will also explain what protection and flows your company may wish to explore. An accountant will give you advice on how fast and when you should grow.

Patent trolls suck – don’t become one.

Answer 5

This would be my advice to you. Start with developing a tangible product. Selling ideas is very hard because people tend to be set in their ways and don't want to learn new ways to do things. Start with a survey of what people need in the area of what you want to provide. Build a survey and take it to the streets. You need a tangible product that people want. Not a product you have to coerce people into.

Answer 6

Gimme a million before I tell ya the secret. :D

Answer 7

Hi there,

Use this free search tool to help uncover leads to fresh thinking:

http://search-it.first411.com

Hope this helps you.

Answer 8

LSD 25