The Idea Game

[Irish]

Hey everyone,

I've been recently trying to come up with a new website/business idea. Yesterday I started reading a very good book called, 'How to Get Ideas' by Jack Foster. It has already changed my way of thinking and has helped me a lot.

Sooo.... how about a thread where we all try to come up with ideas to problems, big or small, and in the process change our way of thinking and maybe spawn the next million dollar idea?

The rules are simple.
1. Somebody posts a problem they have, users reply with 5 solutions.
2. We don't move onto the next problem until at least 2 users have responded, i.e. 10 solutions or the original poster says problem solved, whichever comes first.
3. No negativity or criticism. It's not important that all the ideas are great or even good, it's important that we are simply generating ideas and from them maybe something will blossom.
4. Try to keep the thread flowing. If you need to ask a question do, but please try to only reply with solutions so we get a good tempo going and others get a chance to get their problems heard and solved.
5. Have fun.

I'll go first:
I recently started a web design company with 2 other fellow students. We have no previous work and so, no portfolio. We are good at what we do and offer great prices. How can we attract clients/local business owners, bearing in mind we have very little money for advertising and no marketing experience?

 

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[Icy]

I recently started a web design company with 2 other fellow students. We have no previous work and so, no portfolio. We are good at what we do and offer great prices. How can we attract clients/local business owners, bearing in mind we have very little money for advertising and no marketing experience?

1. How can you make the website benefit their business. Simply "creating a web presence" since it takes time (and money) most likely isn't enough to convince local businesess.

Ok, so now you know how you can benefit them.

2. Make it for them (yes, you still haven't talked to them!). For example for a local auto-mechanic you could create a website, and a place online for customers to sign up for an appointment. If the company is closed their answering machine could simply say "go to *address* and sign up for an appointment now". They can put in a time for them, and get immediate feedback if that time would work for the company. The next morning the business has more appointments, and if something doesn't work for them they can simply call the customer and reschedule. Convenient for both customer and business.

3. Show it to them and see if they'd be interested in it. If they are? Great! You made a website for them. They aren't? Well, you can now simply brand it for another local business or have something for your portfolio.

Problem solved.

Also, I find it odd that 3 people who are going to be creating a website for businesses don't have any type of portfolio. Yes, the examples might not be polished up, but really no examples?

 

[Runum]

You need to read and learn sales and marketing.

I have a relative that just got a massage license and opened his own storefront. When I heard this I shook his hand and said congratulations on your move to sales and marketing. He looked dumbfounded and said nope he was a massage therapist.

My response, you want business and you have something to sell and a place to sell it? You don't have money to pay salesmen and marketing? Then you are in sales and marketing.

You need to read books about sales and marketing(Purple Cow), guerrilla marketing. Get an outrageous wrap for your car and drive your rolling billboard. Wear goofy uniforms with your business name on it. You are now fullfledged sales and marketing guys.

Good luck.

 

[Irish]

Great ideas there Icy and Runum. The problem I was having was attracting potential clients to our company and getting them to contact us for quotes etc. In other words, unique advertising and marketing ideas. We don't have much money for local advertising and also want to stand out from the competition. I like your idea of making a site for a local business and if they don't like it selling it to somebody else.

When I say we have no portfolio, I mean we have not worked with any clients, no reputation. Making examples are not a problem though.

I guess that is the problem solved :eusa_clap:. I was of the mindset of getting the client to come to us when really I should be chasing them down at first. Seems obvious now that I think about it, isn't that always the way though.

Next Problem...?

 

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[wallstreet]

Getting a desirable date is a problem for many as well as building the right social circle.

 

[FDJustin]

Likeable date / social circle:

1: Define the desirable traits for the kind of people you want to date / socialize with.

2: Make a list of local clubs/hangouts/groups/whatever that may have the kinds of people you would like to associate with. Try to go for both generalities, and specifics. For example, people into athletics of some sort are general and could be found at the YMCA. People that are into hosting events may be found at the local toastmasters.

3: Search online for niche forums/facebook groups/ etc. That has the kind of people you like (How I found these forums!)

4: Advertise what you're looking for.

5: Make a website to attract the kind of person(s) you're looking for. Invite them to gather and build a community as an outlet for you and yours.


I like this game, Irish. I think it has the potential to make a pretty neat little website.

 

[Irish]

Getting a desirable date is a problem for many as well as building the right social circle.

In a happy relationship but here are some ideas.

How to get a date.
1. Wear a suit.
2. Get some female friends to go out with, even sisters or cousins. Now you look like your comfortable around women.
3. Don't be clingy or needy. Enjoy yourself and don't look desperate.
4. If you like a girl, ask for her number, compliment her and leave it at that, short and sweet. If she says no don't take it personal. Act like it's the most normal thing in the world. She probably has a boyfriend ; ).
5. After you get a number, play it cool. Don't text her for a day or 2. Be a challenge.

How to get a better social circle.
1. Take up tennis, golf or another sport you feel would suit you.
2. Take a night class.
3. Volunteer.
4. Start a poker night, or attend an organized one.
5. Host a charity event involving your new found sport.

Cheers Justin, I guess Yahoo Answers is kind of like this already.

Next Problem?

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I like to smoke cigars but can't do it in the house as it stinks it up for weeks, even months. I even put an air purifier next to the ash tray. Didn't work -- stunk up the house for weeks. My internal gripe "I hate that I can't smoke in the house"

 

[valuegiver]

Irish, if your value proposition is to make a great website, you won't be making a lot of money. Your value proposition should be building great websites that can make money for your clients. Having said that, you need to study not only web design, but also copywriting. With that, you bring value to the table and you will be able to raise up your price and differentiate yourself in the market.

Then again, this is NOT a fastlane business idea.

I recently started a web design company with 2 other fellow students. We have no previous work and so, no portfolio. We are good at what we do and offer great prices. How can we attract clients/local business owners, bearing in mind we have very little money for advertising and no marketing experience?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Just pulled this off of my Facebook newsfeed from someone pissed ...

Bastards from Campbell's only put two chunks of chicken in my Cream of Chicken soup. Next time, I'm making my own....cheapskates!

Opportunity disguised in code-words.

 

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[wallstreet]

In a happy relationship but here are some ideas.

How to get a date.
1. Wear a suit.
2. Get some female friends to go out with, even sisters or cousins. Now you look like your comfortable around women.
3. Don't be clingy or needy. Enjoy yourself and don't look desperate.
4. If you like a girl, ask for her number, compliment her and leave it at that, short and sweet. If she says no don't take it personal. Act like it's the most normal thing in the world. She probably has a boyfriend ; ).
5. After you get a number, play it cool. Don't text her for a day or 2. Be a challenge.

How to get a better social circle.
1. Take up tennis, golf or another sport you feel would suit you.
2. Take a night class.
3. Volunteer.
4. Start a poker night, or attend an organized one.
5. Host a charity event involving your new found sport.

Cheers Justin, I guess Yahoo Answers is kind of like this already.

Next Problem?

The advice is good, but I was thinking more for people who don't have probelms getting any date. They are just really picky and have a refined taste for a certain type.

I was thinking maybe like a relationship broker?

 

[FDJustin]

I like to smoke cigars but can't do it in the house as it stinks it up for weeks, even months. I even put an air purifier next to the ash tray. Didn't work -- stunk up the house for weeks. My internal gripe "I hate that I can't smoke in the house"

This is a hard one... Let's see... The smoke probably does get whisked away from the air filter while the cig is in the ashtray. But are the smell particles being pulled in fast enough, and if they are, are they getting adequately trapped? Easy to test. Just light the cigar next to the air purifier and leave it to burn on it's own. (Maybe use a cheap one for this, and preferably in a room you can later air out without worry of smoke getting trapped in something. Like great grandma's hand made quilts.)

That's the first problem, the air purifier might not trap smells.

The next problem is how much time is spent where the cigar is away from the ashtray. Once it's away, the purifier won't catch the smoke.

The final problem is the puffs you take then breathe out into the room.

Well, I came up with two possible solutions (that have to be used together) and tweaked them based on this article. How To Smoke A Cigar | How to Smoke a Cigar the Right Way

The first thing we need to invent is some cigar bling. If you can use a fanless ring that'll attract and trap the wayward smoke, and make it look good doing it (It has to look good!) you're in business.
I hear smoke has an electrostatic charge. If that's true maybe some material in the ring can be slightly loose, and produce a charge when shaken.

The second companion is a bit iffy. A flavorless, nontoxic chewing gum to be used alongside the cigar that does much the same as the bling, only in your mouth. The drawbacks are making it difficult to eat (and to a lesser degree, drink), if it works right you won't be able to make smoke rings and there may be some small danger in trapping the smoke in something you keep in your mouth. It's also possible that you would become bored with the cigar sooner, if the gum takes on the flavor and 'dulls' you to it.

 

[Irish]

The advice is good, but I was thinking more for people who don't have probelms getting any date. They are just really picky and have a refined taste for a certain type.

I was thinking maybe like a relationship broker?

Well I guess sites like match.com and the like which do profile matches would go a long way to finding somebody with the same tastes and qualities you look for in a partner. You could even tweak your own profile to match the type of person your looking for.

But hey if you don't have problems getting dates then you would surely have a lot of women to pick from. Just gotta keep searchin for the right one, am I right?

Cigars, hmmm tough 1...

1. Try e cigars?
2. Build a heated deck outside thats comfy enough to smoke there in any weather.
3. Quit.
4. Build some kind of smoke sucking device, found this link on a marajuana smoker site :smxF: How I smoke inside with no windows and no smell *pics* - Marijuana.com
5. Buy one of those new fancy quite vacuum cleaners and smoke directly into the end of it?

This is a tough 1 :smx4:.

 

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[FDJustin]

Keep in mind that cigars are not the same as cigarettes. They aren't inhaled, and you don't really smoke them for the nicotine. Not only that, but you aren't supposed to take too long, or too frequent draws so you don't burn it too hot and ruin the smoke... At least according to that article I linked. I can only semi-validate it thanks to over the counter mini-flavored cigars from quickie.

Whatever the solution, it has to provide the same experience as smoking the cigar 'normally' does.

 

[alainn]

They had a smokeless bong in the beginning of the second Harold and Kumar movie. I forget how it works... you could improve on that idea and adapt it to smoking cigars. Like the other guys said, ALL the smoke from all ends would be collected by some device. It would have to be designed to appeal to cigar smokers. It's very doable. It should be comfortable to use, conducive to a pleasurable cigar-smoking experience, handy - something you could carry in your pocket or in your jacket.

The device would contain all the smoke perfectly until you are outdoors again where you could release all that accumulated smoke into the air.

Are we still playing this game? Did we solve this problem? what's the next problem?