7 Business ideas and opportunities

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Business ideas and opportunities

This chapter discusses the following facts 91
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7.1 Selecting a business idea
All the products, services, processes and techniques of today’s world are the solutions offered to problems faced by mankind. They all are results of business ideas.
Think of the need for drinking water. Lack of sufficient drinking water supply is a common issue faced by many schools. Hence bottles of different sizes and shapes have been introduced to the market in order to bring water from homes. Since it was difficult to pack those water bottles in school bags due to their circular surfaces, cube shaped bottles were introduced to the market. As a result water bottles which can be carried without difficulties with books were created.
In this way, using their thinking towards the problems faced by people, creative individuals generate business ideas. Through observing the environment, it can be recognized that those ideas convert to viable businesses which produce different alternatives to satisfy personal and social needs.
The concept of business ideas
A business idea is a thought having a commercial value which satisfies the needs and wants of people while being a solution to an existing problem in the environment. Business ideas are important in entrepreneurship since they emerge combining the interest and the creativity of an entrepreneur and since it is the first step of creating a business.
“A dozen of ideas can be bought for ten cents” is a common saying in the field of business. This implies that there are ample business ideas. Yet all of these ideas are not converted to a business opportunity. It is the role of the entrepreneur to transform the ideas in to a business opportunity.
Characteristics of a good business idea
V Ability to developed as a business V Ability to satisfy the needs emerge in the environment V Ability to respond to the changing needs and wants V Ability to successfully face the competition V Should match with the technology V Ability to reduce the risk V Generate an adequate earning after converting to a
business V Ability to protect the business idea

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Figure 7.1

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Sometimes the entrepreneur has to consider hundreds of business ideas to select the most suitable idea. There are many sources through which the business ideas can be generated. Let’s discuss them.
Sources of new business ideas

01. Conversion of hobbies and interests

02. Through individual capabilities and experience

03. Through market surveys

04. Through consumer reactions and

complaints

05. Through creative thinking ability

06. Through mass media

07. Relating to suppliers

08. By studying the competition

09. Through educational programmes

10. Through exhibitions and experience

Figure 7.2

The sources of business ideas given in the above figure are further discussed below.
01. Conversion of hobbies and interests in to a business idea People have different hobbies. There are a large number of entrepreneurs who have turned the hobbies like gardening, painting, breeding ornamental fish and photography to their business.
02. Emergence of business ideas through individual capabilities and experience Businesses begin through the experience and practice obtained from the job and utilizing personal capabilities like dancing, singing and sports.
03. Emergence of business ideas through market surveys Market surveys are carried out by an entrepreneur or other institutions in order to get the ideas of consumers regarding a product or a service. Business ideas are generated through the consumer needs, wants and responses revealed through such surveys.

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Example :A bank providing their service at night and on public holidays based on the need of customers.
04. Emergence of business ideas through consumer responses Business ideas can be generated through an investigation carried out by an entrepreneur or other institutions relating to the consumer needs, wants and responses. It is common to use suggestion boxes and consumer note books to get the ideas of consumers today.
Example :Changing the recipes according to the ideas of consumers.
05. Emergence of business ideas through creative thinking abilities Through the individual creative capability, new ideas are given to change an existing thing or a process.
Example :Producing an equipment which can transform water vapour to drinking water
06. Emergence of business ideas through mass media Business ideas can be generated through the information and news provided by mass media. There are ample advertisements available in the internet and daily or week-end news papers through which business ideas can be identified.
Example :Asking stationery suppliers Advertisements to offer products in wholesale Advertisements asking partners to a business
07. Emergence of business ideas through suppliers A business which is currently operating can generate business ideas from the ideas of its suppliers and other institutions linked with the business.
Example :Introduction of new cultivation methods, seeds and fertilizers to those who are engaged in plantation by the institutions whom supplying agricultural equipments.
08. Emergence of business ideas through studying the competition Business ideas can be generated through a study of the operations of competitors.
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Example :Banks offering new services to the market to match the services of other competitors. When one bank introduces an account to the retired people other banks imitate that.
09. Emergence of business ideas through educational programmes From the knowledge acquired through programs an individual follows, business ideas can be generated.
Example :There are individuals who start business from the knowledge and experience gained through the programmes conducted by technical colleges and universities.
10. Emergence of business ideas through exhibitions and experience Entrepreneurs generate business ideas by participating to the exhibitions organized by chambers of commerce.
Example :Exhibitions of entrepreneurial products Competitions of innovators
Activity 01
Entrepreneur should generate business ideas through the changes that happen in the environment and should evaluate the feasibility of each idea. Following table explains how ideas are generated relating to an incident and their feasibility.
Incident: “sale of milk powder is prohibited” – a news

Business idea V Opening a centre for breeding cattle
V Setting up a mobile unit to sell fresh milk

Feasibility
Farmers opt for cattle farming due to the increase in future demand for fresh milk. As a result they tend to breed animals of different categories which give a higher yield.
People tend to buy fresh milk from mobile units since fresh milk is available only in few places

You are required to generate business ideas identifying the changes like above in the environment. Give the feasibility/ suitability of each idea.
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7.2 Conversion of business ideas in to business opportunities
Creation of a successful business will not happen instantly. It has a long way. This section explains the selection of a suitable/feasible business opportunity among the thousands of business ideas.
Business opportunity
An attractive investment idea which can provide an adequate return to the risk taker can be identified as a business opportunity. Further that idea should be a product or a service which satisfy consumer needs and wants while creating a value for them.
Whatever the number of business ideas available, it is the role of the entrepreneur to select the best idea and transform it to a business opportunity.
Difference between a business idea and a business opportunity
Already you have studied about the business ideas and business opportunities. You are aware that every business ideas will not become a viable business opportunity. Differences between these two concepts are identified below.

Business idea Business ideas are many. A large number of business ideas can be generated through different sources
Business ideas are open. Many perceive them.

Business opportunity
Business opportunities are not ample. Only few business opportunities can be selected from hundreds of business ideas.
Everyone cannot recognize business opportunities among business ideas.

Every business idea cannot be implemented practically.

Business opportunities are practical.

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Characteristics of a good business opportunity
Figure 7.3- Characteristics of a good business opportunity
Ability to acquire the required resources It should be possible to easily acquire the raw materials, labor, machineries and other infrastructure facilities. Having demand The product or service offered should have sufficient sales. That is there should be a considerable number of consumers. Comply with the rules and regulations The business opportunity should not violate the legal conditions relating to environmental protection, consumer protection, employees, tax principles etc. Further though some factors are not covered by rules and regulations, they should comply with the social interest, fairness and values.
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Having an attractive earning The entrepreneur should be capable of getting a sufficient return for the money invested in the business by implementing the business opportunity . Ability to face the competition Possibility to successfully face the other businesses in the market who are engaged in similar businesses should be there.
Selecting a suitable business opportunity
In order to select a suitable business opportunity, the business ideas generated should be evaluated. Selecting a good business idea can be presented as a three-step process. This can be identified as macro, micro and SWOT analysis. The following funnel -framework can be used to illustrate that.
Figure 7.4- selecting a suitable business opportunity
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Step 01
Macro analysis Macro analysis refers to the selection of at least 10 suitable better business ideas among the thousands of generated ideas considering the below mentioned factors in surface relating to each idea.
V Can the product be marketed? V Are there enough resources? V Does it match with the abilities and interests of the entrepreneur V Is there anyone to get the support? V Are there legal barriers? V Can the required capital be found? V Is there the ability to face competitors?
Activity 02
Try to generate ideas for which can be identified as suitable for starting a business. Focusing on following areas, generate at least 20 business ideas
Examples :V Solving the garbage issue of the school V Providing organic fertilizer to farmers V Distribute fresh milk
Considering the factors under macro analysis, select minimum of 10 ideas out of them.
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Step 02
Micro analysis
This analysis should be done for each of the ideas selected under step 01. Under micro analysis three most suitable business ideas out of the 10 identified above are selected considering the effect of following criteria on each of the business ideas. Here, the factors considered under first step are studied in detail.
Criteria which can be used for micro analysis
Having a market
This considers whether there are enough customers when the product is offered to the market or whether there is adequate sale to earn the required return to survive in the business. Moreover the ability to expand the business in the future should be considered.
Ease of finding raw materials
Under this the ease of finding quality raw materials under the lowest possible cost to engage in continuous production is considered. If it is difficult, this will lead to a break down in the production process.
Ability to find the required capital
Some business ideas require a substantial initial capital in order to transform them to business opportunities. The possibility of finding adequate capital under a minimum cost should be considered.
Government rules and regulations, principles and incentives
Even though very profitable, there are certain government rules and policies which influence some business fields. Some of them are environmental rules, employee regulations, consumer protection rules, import-export policies and tax policies. The extent to which these factors are favourable relating to the expected business idea and the government incentives like infrastructure facilities, tax reliefs and loan schemes should also be considered.
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