寻找一个好的创意，开始创业

原作者：
来源Starting a Business: The Idea Phase
译者yoyo-flora

Many people believe starting a business is a mysterious process. They know they want to start a business, but they don't know the first steps to take. In this chapter, you're going to find out how to get an idea for a business--how you figure out exactly what it is you want to do and then how to take action on it.

       很多人都认为创业的过程很神秘。人们通常都有创业的想法，却不知如何开始第一步。本文中，你将会学会如何为创业找到一个想法，即如何明晰什么才是自己最想做的，并开始行动。

But before we get started, let's clear up one point: People always wonder if this is a good time to start their business idea. The fact is, there's really never a bad time to launch a business. It's obvious why it's smart to launch in strong economic times. People have money and are looking for ways to spend it. But launching in tough or uncertain economic times can be just as smart. If you do your homework, presumably there's a need for the business you're starting. Because many people are reluctant to launch in tough times, your new business has a better chance of getting noticed. And, depending on your idea, in a down economy there is often equipment (or even entire businesses!) for sale at bargain prices.

       但是在我们开始之前，有一点需要阐明：人们总是在问这是创业的合适时间么？而事实却是，没有什么时候是不适合创业的。在经济形式强劲的时候，创业很显然是个明智的选择。人们手上都有钱并在寻求机会花掉它们。但是，请相信，在艰难或是不明确的经济形势下创业，也同样是明智的选择。我们假设你做过功课，你将要创业的领域还没有饱和，仍有需要。由于许多人不情愿在困难时期运作，你的新公司将更有可能被关注。此外，在经济低迷的时期，总会有许多设备甚至是整个公司以低价出售。你甚至可以讨价还价，当然，能不能遇上这样的好机会，还是取决于你打算在哪个领域有所作为。

Estimates vary, but generally more than 600,000 businesses are started each year in the United States. Yet for every American who actually starts a business, there are likely millions more who begin each year saying "OK, this is the year I am going to start a business," and then don't.

        据估计，每年在美国大约有超过600000个公司开启。然而，对于每一个已经开始创业的美国人而言，还有大约数百万的人每年年初都会说：“好吧，今年我要自己创业”，而事实却是，他们没有。

Everyone has his or her own roadblock, something that prevents them from taking that crucial first step. Most people are afraid to start; they may fear the unknown or failure, or even success. Others find starting something overwhelming in the mistaken belief they have to start from scratch. They think they have to come up with something that no one has ever done before--a new invention, a unique service. In other words, they think they have to reinvent the wheel.

       每个人都有自己的软肋，那些束缚他们难以卖出最关键的第一步的理由。大多数的人都害怕开始，他们害怕未知的可能发生的失败，或许甚至是成功。还有一些人会错误的认为创业一定要从零开始。他们觉得他们一定要做些没有人做过的事情，一个新的发明，一个独特的服务。换句话说，如果不是原创性的创新形式的创业，他们觉得自己是白费功夫。

But unless you're a technological genius--another Bill Gates or Steve Jobs--trying to reinvent the wheel is a big waste of time. For most people starting a business, the issue should not be coming up with something so unique that no one has ever heard of it but instead answering the questions: "How can I improve on this?" or "Can I do this better or differently from the other guy doing it over there?" Or simply, "Is there market share not being served that makes room for another business in this category?"

       但是，除非你是一个技术天才，下一个比尔盖茨或者史蒂芬.乔布斯，尝试重复性工作只是浪费时间。对于大多数有意创业的人，我们不用奢望自己提出一些没有人听过的独特的想法，而只是回答下列问题：“怎么做会有所提高？”或者“我们能做的更好么或者与其他人做的不同些？”再或者仅仅是“在这个领域中的其他行业，还有市场份额或空间的空余么？”

Get the Juices Flowing

发挥创造力

How do you start the idea process? First, take out a sheet of paper and across the top write "Things About Me." List five to seven things about yourself--things you like to do or that you're really good at, personal things (we'll get to your work life in a minute). Your list might include: "I'm really good with people, I love kids, I love to read, I love computers, I love numbers, I'm good at coming up with marketing concepts, I'm a problem solver." Just write down whatever comes to your mind; it doesn't need to make sense. Once you have your list, number the items down one side of the paper.

       那么如何开始找寻想法的旅程呢？首先，拿出一叠纸，并在第一张写上“有关我的事情”。列下五到七个你擅长的或者你喜欢做的事情，还有私人的事情（我们将会在很快的进入到你的工作中）。你的清单也许包括：“我待人友善，我喜欢孩子，我热爱阅读，我爱计算机，我爱数字，我擅长提出营销概念，我是问题解决者。”只是单纯的写下你脑海中的事情，不一定要有意义。一旦你有了这份清单，将列出的项目数写到这张纸的下面。

On the other side of the paper, list things that you don't think you're good at or you don't like to do. Maybe you're really good at marketing concepts, but you don't like to meet people or you're really not that fond of kids or you don't like to do public speaking or you don't want to travel. Don't overthink it; just write down your thoughts. When you're finished, ask yourself: "If there were three to five products or services that would make my personal life better, what would they be?" This is your personal life as a man, woman, father, husband, mother, wife, parent, grandparent--whatever your situation may be. Determine what products or services would make your life easier or happier, make you more productive or efficient, or simply give you more time.

       在这张纸的另一边，列下你认为你不擅长或者不喜欢的事情。也许你非常善于市场营销，但是你不喜欢与人打交道，或者你真的没有那么喜欢孩子，或者你不喜欢在公共场合演讲，又或者你不想旅行。不用深思，只是写下你的想法。当你完成后，问问你自己：“如果只有三到五种产品或服务能够让你的个人生活更开心，那么它们是什么呢？”这是你的个人角色，可以是作为男人，女人，父亲，丈夫，母亲，妻子，父母，祖父母或者其他角色的个人生活。接下来，决定什么产品或服务会让你的生活更容易或者更开心，让你的生活更富有成效或者更有效率，又或者仅仅是给你更多的时间。

Next, ask yourself the same question about your business life. Examine what you like and dislike about your work life as well as what traits people like and dislike about you. Finally, ask yourself why you're seeking to start a business in the first place. Then, when you're done, look for a pattern to emerge (i.e., whether there's a need for a business doing one of the things you like or are good at).

       其次，对于你的事业，也采用同样的问题。检测出在你的工作中你喜欢的和不喜欢的，还有那些别人喜欢你的或者不喜欢的特点。最后，问问自己，为什么起初你一直在寻求机会创业。在你完成这些之后，在其中寻找一个模式。（例如，是否存在一份事业你能从事你喜欢的或善于做的事情。）

They Delivered

Here's a business startup story that's a great example of seeing a need and filling it. Entrepreneur magazine is located in Irvine, California, a planned community. Many years ago, there weren't many fast-food restaurants in the business area. Most were across town, where the neighborhoods were. Two young men in Irvine found this lunch situation very frustrating. There weren't many affordable choices. Sure, there were some food courts located in strip centers, but the parking lots were really small and the wait was horrendous.

       这里是一个创业故事，这个例子很好的说明了觉察一个需要并满足它，从而创业成功。《企业家》杂志是一个规划社区，位于尔文，加利福尼亚。许多年前，那里没有很多快餐厅在这个商业区。大多数的快餐厅在城市的另一端，那里有很多邻居。两个年轻的尔文人觉得这样的规划布局很让人恼火。午餐时段，这里并没有很多实惠的选择。当然，在沿街购物中心有些饮食区，但是停车位过少，且等待时间出奇的长。

One day, as they were lamenting their lunch problem, one of them said, "Wouldn't it be great if we could get some good food delivered?" The proverbial light bulb went on! Then they did what many people don't do--they did something about their idea. Coincidentally, they purchased one of Entrepreneur's business startup guides and started a restaurant delivery business.

To date, their business has served more than 15 million people! It's neither a complicated business nor an original one. Their competition has gotten stiffer, and yet they're doing phenomenally well. And it all began because they listened to their own frustrations and decided to do something about them. Little did they know that research cites the shrinking lunch hour as one of the biggest complaints by American workers. Some only get 30 minutes, making it nearly impossible to get out, get lunch and get back on time. So while these young entrepreneurs initially thought they were responding to a personal need in their local area, they actually struck a universal chord.

       迄今为止，这项业务已经服务过超过1500万人！这既不是一项复杂的业务，也不知原创的。虽然竞争越来越激烈，但是他们还是运作的不错。而这一切的源头，不过是他们倾听了自己的沮丧并决定做些什么去改变现状。他们并不知道，有研究显示越来越少的午餐时间是美国工人最大的抱怨之一。一些人仅有30分钟，这使得他们难以出去，享受午餐并按时返回。因此，当这两位年轻的企业家最初只是认为，他们解决了一个他们在当地自身遇到的问题时，他们已经击中要害，迎合了普遍的诉求。

That is one way to get ideas--listening to your own (or your co-workers', family's or neighbors') frustrations. The opportunities are all there; you just need to search them out. If your brain is always set in idea mode, then many ideas may come from just looking around or reading. For instance, if you had read an article about the shrinking lunch hour, and if you were thinking entrepreneurially, you would say "Wow, maybe there's an opportunity there for me to do something. I should start researching it."

       这也是一种获得创业创意的方法：倾听自己的（或同事的，家人的，邻居的）不满。机遇正存在于其中；你只需要将它们找出来。如果我们的大脑一直处于寻找创意的模式，那么将会有许多的创意出现，来源于看到的或者阅读到的。例如，如果你读到了一篇关于减少的午餐时间的文章，恰好你以企业家的方式思考，你可能会说：“喔，这对于我也许是一个机会去做些什么，我要研究一下。”

Inspiring Moments

灵感激发的瞬间

Inspiration can be anywhere. Here's another classic startup story: Ever get charged a fee for returning a video late? Bet you didn't do anything about it. Well, when Reed Hastings got a whopping $40 late charge, instead of getting mad, he got inspired. Hastings wondered "How come movie rentals don't work like a health club, where, whether you use it a lot or a little, you get charged the same?" From this thought, Netflix.com, an online DVD rental service, was born. From its start in 1999, Netflix has grown into a big business with revenues topping $1.3 billion.

Getting an idea can be as simple as keeping your eyes peeled for the latest hot businesses; they crop up all the time. Many local entrepreneurs made tons of money bringing the Starbucks coffeehouse concept to their hometowns and then expanding from there. Take Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee. The founders had what they describe as an "aha moment" in 1990, and two years later launched what is now the nation's second-largest company-owned gourmet coffeehouse chain. Other coffee entrepreneurs have chosen to stay local.

And don't overlook the tried and true. Hot businesses often go through cycles. Take gardening. For the last few years gardening products and supplies have been all the rage, but you wouldn't consider gardening a 21st century business.

In other words, you can take any idea and customize it to the times and your community. Add your own creativity to any concept. In fact, customizing a concept isn't a choice; it's a necessity if you want your business to be successful. You can't just take an idea, plop it down and say "OK, this is it." Outside of a McDonald's, Subway or other major franchise concept, there are very few businesses that work with a one-size-fits-all approach.

One of the best ways to determine whether your idea will succeed in your community is to talk to people you know. If it's a business idea, talk to co-workers and colleagues. Run personal ideas by your family or neighbors. Don't be afraid of people stealing your idea. It's just not likely. Just discuss the general concept; you don't need to spill all the details.

Just Do It!

Hopefully by now, the process of determining what business is right for you has at least been somewhat demystified. Understand that business startup isn't rocket science. No, it isn't easy to begin a business, but it's not as complicated or as scary as many people think, either. It's a step-by-step, common-sense procedure. So take it a step at a time. First step: Figure out what you want to do. Once you have the idea, talk to people to find out what they think. Ask "Would you buy and/or use this, and how much would you pay?"

Understand that many people around you won't encourage you (some will even discourage you) to pursue your entrepreneurial journey. Some will tell you they have your best interests at heart; they just want you to see the reality of the situation. Some will envy your courage; others will resent you for having the guts to actually do something. You can't allow these naysayers to dissuade you, to stop your journey before it even begins.

In fact, once you get an idea for a business, what's the most important trait you need as an entrepreneur? Perseverance. When you set out to launch your business, you'll be told "no" more times than you've ever been told before. You can't take it personally; you've got to get beyond the "no" and move on to the next person--because eventually, you're going to get to a "yes."

One of the most common warnings you'll hear is about the risk. Everyone will tell you it's risky to start your own business. Sure, starting a business is risky, but what in life isn't? Plus, there's a difference between foolish risks and calculated ones. If you carefully consider what you're doing, get help when you need it, and never stop asking questions, you can mitigate your risk.

You can't allow the specter of risk to stop you from going forward. Ask yourself "What am I really risking?" And assess the risk. What are you giving up? What will you lose if things don't work out? Don't risk what you can't afford. Don't risk your home, your family or your health. Ask yourself "If this doesn't work, will I be worse off than I am now?" If all you have to lose is some time, energy and money, then the risk is likely worth it.

Determining what you want to do is only the first step. You've still got a lot of homework to do, a lot of research in front of you. Buying this book is a smart first step. Most important: Do something. Don't sit back year after year and say "This is the year I'm going to start my business." Make this the year you really do it!

       决定你想要做什么是你仅需做的第一步。你还有很多的工作要做，许多研究要做。买下这本书就是明智的第一步。最重要的是：做些什么。不要只是干坐着，一年接着一年，总在说“今年我要开始创业”。让今年成为你行动的一年！

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