
I am walking home, gathering ideas about the ideal image of my
business in a few years to come. A question I never ask myself with true
conviction as I always get ploughed away by whats practical. Scaling
down my ideas before I am even started.
So thinking big and out of the box, I am walking through a
neighborhood close to one of my studios. It's cold and wet with winds
that blow through your clothing leaving you cold to the bone. A lovely
little bundle of joy catches my attention, with a not so joyful
expression on its face. It runs up to me and then to the door of its
home. Sudden clarity comes with my imagination more like leaping out of
the box at this point, sprinting into woods and swimming an ocean. Best
business idea ever... a cat door knocking service.
To remind cats pets (their owners) that they indeed need to be let
inside to the cozy warmth of their territorial home. A door knocking
service where some human prawls through neighborhoods on the search for
cats in distress. In one moment came the idea and the next second i was
laughing openly in the street. But seriously a cat door opening service,
genius!
Many individuals are either creative in business or practical. Taking
this as their base of operations that defines the way they plan, step
into the world and deliver. Learning to balance these forces is key to
successful business, indeed successful anything. Creativity is amazing
but usually needs to be grounded in the here, possible and now. Be given
legs to stand on in order to materialize. Practicality can often close
down the mind for possibility. But hand in hand, they can lead us to
projects and business plans that are both innovative and grounded in
logic.

Coming back to the cat door knocking service. Its one of those ideas
that sounds unique but when you analyse it you soon realise its a no go.
Ok i have taken an extreme business idea but its some how so apt. SO
visualise the situation for a moment cat outside door who is in need of
being let in. The cat is the customer is this case with a need that can
be fulfilled with a product or service thats not presently being
offered. This is a situation where a business could come in. SO clearly
we should set up a door knocking service right? But did you ask yourself
(again ludicrous situation):
- Can the cat afford such a service, is the as secondary client
interested to pay? Your business can't thrive on cat cuddles however
nice these are. Cats will love you one moment and leave you the next
(talking as a cat lover). With the best of intentions customers can be
the same so make sure a) you have the possibility of being paid in means
that are healthy for your business and b) that you create a fair
transaction where like quality of service is given for like quality of
payment for said service. Valueing yourself, your product or service is
vital. Checking that you can indeed make the necessary income to run a
healthy business.
- If the service was to become a reality and a door was opened for
said cat, what do you think their response would be. Obvious one would
be to run into the house. But what if the cat is scared by the door
knocker or not that bothered about getting in even though its cute
fluffiness looks distraught right at this moment in time. Quality of the
customer or client is really important.
- All is not as it seems at face value, did you stop to think if the
cat had a specific reason for being outside? Maybe its only one cat in a
million, then the need is big in this one case but there aren't many
clients out there who will seriously need a cat door knocking service.
Market research and questioning about the number of available clients,
location and reason for the need.
Taking a little time in the beginning can save a lot of time and
money later on. Not being scared to think big, bringing creativity and
practicality to heel. Its always possible to down size an idea. The big
ideas give information about your goals and desires as a business
starter and maker that are truly insightful. Planning a strategy for
success not only is useful for new businesses but helps to focus the
writer on the core goals, clients and finance aspects of a business.
Giving a clearer vision of the businesses identity for promotion, who
the business is for and how it addresses the need of this target group.
After careful analysis of about 30 minutes and a lot of laughing (reason
it took so long) i decided that i won't be opening a cat door knocking
service.