Think about the last time something annoyed you at school. Maybe your water bottle got mixed up with someone else's. Maybe the vending machine was always empty. Every small annoyance like that is a problem, and every problem is a chance for a business. A business idea is just a way to solve a problem or meet a need that people have. In this unit you will follow two Grade 9 students, Priya and Sam, as they turn a small annoyance into a real idea. Their school has a rule: bring a reusable water bottle. The trouble is that dozens of bottles look the same, so they get lost and mixed up.
Spotting problems and market needs
A market need is something a group of people want or need but cannot easily get yet. An opportunity is a need that you could actually meet, at a price people will pay, with the time, money and skills you have. Not every idea is an opportunity. 'A flying car for every student' meets a need, but you cannot build it. 'Stickers that make your bottle easy to spot' is something two Grade 9 students could really do.
- Listen for complaints. Phrases like 'I wish...', 'Why is there no...' and 'It is so annoying when...' point straight at problems.
- Watch what people do. If students keep writing their names on bottles with markers that wash off, they need a better way to label them.
- Look at changes. A new school rule, a new trend or a new season creates new needs (winter brings a need for snow shovelling).
- Look at your own life first. You understand teen problems better than most adults do.
Brainstorming rules that work
Brainstorming means coming up with as many ideas as possible in a short time, usually in a group. It works best when everyone follows four rules. These rules exist because people stop sharing ideas the moment they feel judged.
- Defer judgement. Do not say 'that won't work' yet. Judging comes later, in a separate step.
- Go for quantity. Aim for lots of ideas. The 30th idea is often better than the 1st, because the obvious ideas come out first.
- Build on others' ideas. Say 'Yes, and...' instead of 'No, but...'. One person's half-idea can become another person's great idea.
- Set aside constraints. For now, pretend money, time and rules are not a problem. You can bring them back when you choose.
Priya and Sam spent 10 minutes brainstorming with two friends. They wrote down 24 ideas, including dog walking, a study snack box service, phone-case art, bike-tire repair, and stickers for water bottles. Some ideas were silly, like 'bottles that text you when you lose them'. That is fine. A silly idea led to a useful one: if bottles cannot text you, at least they can be easy to spot.
Mind maps and different perspectives
A mind map is a drawing that starts with one word or problem in the centre and branches out to related ideas. Each branch can split into smaller branches. Mind maps help because your brain makes connections when it can see ideas side by side. A perspective is the way one person sees a situation, based on their age, culture, abilities and experiences. Asking people with different perspectives gives you ideas you would never think of alone.
| Person asked | What they said | New idea it gave Priya and Sam |
|---|---|---|
| A classmate with low vision | Small, busy designs are hard for me to see. | Large, high-contrast name stickers |
| A younger brother, age 8 | I want mine to glow in the dark. | A glow-in-the-dark design line |
| A grandmother | I cannot read the tiny labels on my containers. | Large-print labels for adults, later |
| A student who moved from another country | I would love my name written in my first language. | Name stickers in many scripts |
| A student who uses a wheelchair | My bottle sits in a holder on my chair, where people can't see the front. | Stickers sized for the bottle's lid and neck |