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So… you want to start a business. But you have no idea what kind of business you would like to start.

As a startup founder myself, ideas come and go. Ideas usually pop up in our brains when getting that “a-ha!” moment. Those moments mostly arrive when there’s a problem that needs to be solved, and we’ve thought of a solution.

A startup’s purpose isn’t just about earning money from selling your ideas to people, it’s also how your idea can help solve the problems of those people. 

In this article, I’m going to talk about where you can find these problems to get that “a-ha!” moment for your idea to get yourself on your way into building your startup.

Peers and relatives

One of the best places to get started on coming up with ideas for problems is through your friends and families. Social gatherings, family meals at the table, casual hangouts with friends, may it be personally or through online chat, these are ideal situations to open up a conversation on what problems do they encounter as they go on through their day and what solutions you may come up with for you to build as a startup.

Existing companies and Industry

Have you ever bought some company’s product or purchased services in an industry that you’ve used to help solve your problem? Turns out, those products and services were once ideas that became successful because they solved a problem not only you were having, but everyone else who bought their idea.

Look into your community and see if they’re having the same problem you did. (I’m not saying you should steal a company’s product or service and sell it to the community, that’ll get you into a whole lot of trouble.) 

Instead, build your own idea based on how those products and services you bought solved your problem, and how you can make it better and more accessible for your community.

Discussion forums in social media

We all know the impact social media has on our daily lives ever since it took the globe by storm. People use it to express their thoughts, feelings, opinions on current events, vent out frustrations on their daily struggles and many more.

Others have even taken the liberty of using a form of social media called internet forums to discuss their opinions, seek advice for their problems from other people in the forum, and even share or promote their business’ products and services to fellow forum users.

Internet forums such as Reddit and Quora are full of communities that discuss problems that may give you an idea for a solution that you can use for your startup.

News

Another great medium on where you can come up with ideas is the news. Current events being talked about in the news hold a lot of important information. This is the perfect opportunity to look for problems that can give you an idea for a solution to use as your startup.

Current events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have given startup founders ideas on how to help fight this global outbreak and at the same time still make a living despite the crisis the world is experiencing.

Your own skills and passion

Last but not the least possible medium to get ideas from, is from your own skills and passions. Do you think your hobby is good enough to be marketable for you to start earning from it? Do you have skills you’ve been cultivating for a long time that you’d like to put to use to help the community and earn something out of?

Doing what you love and making a living out of it is every professional’s dream job. If you think your passion and skills are something you can use to build your startup, then go for it.

Conclusion

The mediums I discussed where you can get an idea for your startup are just a few of the many other methods that can give you that “a-ha!” moment that you need to find that idea for your startup. 

Explore your community. You’ll never know, your “a-ha!” moment might just be around the corner. 

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Other sources you may like

• Social media's growing impact on our lives
• The Impact Of Social Media For A Startup
• How To Pick The Right Idea For Your Startup
• Top 5 Chats and Forums Websites In The World

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