When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. You could have the best lemonade around, but without a lemonade stand who would know?!
Ideas come and go, but execution is a whole different story. It takes time and hard-work to blossom an idea into something more. Below are a few tips on taking the step towards building your own ‘lemonade stand’ and bringing your ideas to life:
Develop your idea. So do you have the next million-dollar idea? What is it? What makes your idea different and better than anything else on the market? You need to establish a Unique Selling Proposition. This is something that only you have or something that you do better than everyone else. This will be incredibly handy down the road when there are competitors to contend with or people that have the choice whether to use your product/service or to choose another.
Identify your target audience. Determine who will be buying your product. This will help you to identify what channels to use for advertising and promotion. Are you targeting 18-24 year old millennials? Gen X’ers? Baby Boomers? All of these segments interact, consume products and react to advertisements in very different, distinct ways. By identifying your target, it will ensure that you craft the correct message to grab their attention.
Be flexible & stay positive. You may get overwhelmed and that’s okay! It’s good to have a plan, but you never know what life can throw your way. So be open-minded, accepting and willing to change course if need be. There will be roadblocks throughout the process, but it will be worth it in the long run. Having success and seeing your idea come to fruition takes time, after all.
Share your idea. Share with your support system (family and friends). Nothing feels better than having people on your side. Regardless of your idea, or the potential for success, your loved ones will be there to support you. But take their advice with a grain of salt. Instead, lean on your networks and connections with critical questions and input on their experience. Be open and don’t be afraid to ask questions, reach out for help and even vent to when you’re frustrated.
Believe in yourself. It’s not all about who you know, but what you know. Have faith in yourself and confidence in your ideas. Use what you love and what you’re good at to make something great. And don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone – you’re venturing into new territory and lot can happen once you step outside of your own skin.
So go for it. A dream will always be just a dream if you never do anything about it. Take risks, seek rewards and be happy. Whether or not your idea is a hit, celebrate the success of pursing an idea and seeing it through to the end. Because when life gives you lemons, make a masterpiece — or at the very least a Lynchburg Lemonade!
For more inspiration from an entrepreneur’s perspective, check out this list at Entrepreneur.com.