Where do you look for business ideas?

At the start up stage of a business, innovation levels are flying high.  But once the business is established, it can be easy to get bogged down in day to day delivery and paperwork. 

How can you recapture the energy and creativity of your original idea generation to propel your business forward?   Where to even start? 

Join our Encompass LinkedIn Group and have your say.

A first step may be to do an internet search on 'Where to find new business ideas'. 

This will keep you busy surfing for a few days, reading anything from scholarly articles complete with processes, strategies and complex graphs on idea generation,  to questionable tips such as 'eavesdrop'.

There are ideas in universities waiting for your business skills...

An opportunity right on your doorstep is to use ideas that have already been generated within universities.  All over the world, research is being carried out that universities aren't in a position to commercialise.  In Scotland, businesses can often access these ideas for free, using quick and simple licence agreements.

Visit the University Technology website to find out what IP is available, read success stories on how other companies have used these ideas and how you can get involved.

Additionally, a new website has launched which creates science competitions around unused inventions.  Read about the invention on the Marblar website, and find out how you can compete to suggest a creative application for the invention. 

Good luck.

Lynda Nicolson
Marketing & Online Community Manager, Encompass, University of Glasgow

SIGN UP FOR OUR ENCOMPASS NEWSLETTER HERE