The Best Way To Recognize A Great Idea

I've been sharing a lot on the topic of 'ideas' recently because it's where creativity starts. And if you want to offer more than "me too" copy & paste goods and services, you are going to need to be creative. You have ideas, but you're not sure which ones are the best. How do you test the ideas you have? What is the best way to recognize a great idea?

The quickest way to find out? Ask yourself whether your idea has these traits:

Does Your Idea Fill a Niche?
There are all kinds of needs in the world. Does your particular idea fill any of them? Sometimes this can be a challenging question. You might have something wildly unique on your hands. But if there's no use for it, what good is it? 

Is Your Idea Workable?
Sometimes after a lot of brainstorming, we come up with what we think is a great idea, only to find out there's no way to make it a reality. Do your ideas feel like they belong in science fiction or alternate realities? If so, don't give up just yet. Think about this: some ideas which you might have seen in science fiction 30 years ago are realities today. So, don't lose hope! Either rework the idea to something possible or hang on to it for a while. You never know. 

Can Others Get Behind This Idea?
Sometimes even great ideas never make it because people never find them appealing. For example, there was a time when recycling was considered disgusting. After all, who wants to touch their trash? When judging an idea, ask yourself if there's a way you can make this idea exciting to other people. 

What Makes this Idea Better?
A fantastic idea needs to solve a problem. What does your idea do that no other idea can? What is the unique component? How does your idea handle something in a way nothing else does? 

Can Your Idea Gain a Following?
The ideas people get the most passionate about are the ones that have a story behind them. If you need the support of others for this idea to work, you need to find a way to connect this idea to them. What is it about this idea which can inspire emotion? What will make people want to share this idea with their friends?

One Of My Ideas?
LocalMeA - Best Of Local was created from the idea of wanting to make a difference at the local business level for more than just one day a year like the Small Business Saturday program does. LocalMeA - Best Of Local allows an exclusive group of locally-owned businesses to stand out 365 days a year and hits all the marks of these great idea traits. The Positive Brand Marketing platform that LocalMeA - Best of Local provides fills a unique workable niche that others can get behind, follow, and share with others... and it works.

​The more of these traits your idea has, the better. If you miss one, how can you go back and solve this problem? Keep running your ideas through this cycle until you have turned your good ideas into amazing ones.

​Want to learn more about LocalMeA - Best Of Local? click here