The Source of Two Great Business Ideas

Where do great ideas come from? The answer may surprise you.

Listen to this post! Click a player to hear George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Show Podcast (Duration 3:00).

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Hunting for a BIGG idea

When George De Meshdrahl returned home from a two-week hunting trip, he noticed a cocklebur attached to his dog. An engineer by trade, he was curious about why this object could attach itself so easily.

So he examined it under a microscope and discovered tiny hooks which would catch anything with a loop like clothing and fur. He replicated nature to create the product we know as Velcro.

A BIGG idea at play

Ruth Handler’s daughter was playing with her friends. Ruth noticed that they liked playing with adult dolls more than baby dolls.

Ruth realized the adult dolls let the girls play out what their lives might be like in the future. So she created a 3D model to make the doll as lifelike as possible.

Ruth’s daughter, Barbara, loved the doll which Ruth named after her. Over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold since.

What can we learn from these two BIGG innovators?

3 tips for finding your BIGG idea

• Be curious
  

  As a kid, you were curious about everything. As adults, we tend to squelch our curiosity.
  

  Redevelop your sense of wonder. Ask and ask. Why? Why?
  

• Keep your eyes wide open
  

BIGG ideas don’t come stamped with “Hey, look at me” on them.

They are subtle. They lurk behind everyday events. So act like a great detective and fully observe the scene around you.

• Don’t shut down
  

  Like a lot of BIGG ideas, neither Velcro nor Barbie were discovered at work.
  

  Your greatest inspiration will likely come during downtime. So be alert for possible opportunities ALL the time.
  

Let work and play walk hand-in-hand for your BIGG success!

How did you discover your BIGG idea?

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00831-101112.mp3

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