I know it’s Ides of March, but I thought I would blog about ideas, and the word Ides reminds me of the word Ideas. I get them all the time, some become success stories (not necessarily thought of in the month of March, but you get my drift), and many don’t.

First off for those who do not know what the Ides of March is here is quick blurb I stole from Wikipedia:

The Ides of March (Latin: Idus Martii or Idus Martiae) is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to March 15. It was marked by several religious observances, and became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE.

Most of us first heard it in Jr. High School English class  (thank you Ms. Lish) while reading Julius Caesar (Act 1, scene 2, 15-19).

Caesar: 
Who is it in the press that calls on me? 
I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
Cry “Caesar!” Speak; Caesar is turn’d to hear.

Soothsayer: 
Beware the ides of March.

Caesar:
 What man is that?

Brutus: 
A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

Some of the best ideas come to me while in bed, during that moment right before I am going to fall asleep. I do my best to write them down, but that doesn’t happen too often. I convince myself that I will remember in the morning and I almost never do.  So, my first tip is…

WRITE IT DOWN! This will sound crazy, but if you are not some freak of nature that always writes neatly…WRITE IT NEATLY! I have written down notes on some ideas that I thought were ground breaking, innovated, earth shattering, only to sit there staring at my notes trying to figure out what the heck I wrote. So when you write down your ideas, you might want to try using your laptop or tablet instead of pen to paper.

Once you have this brilliant thought written, you have to see if it already exists. If it does, it doesn’t mean you should try to make something/do something better than the way it is in its current state. This brings us to tip number 2…

RESEARCH! If it’s a new product or service, what is the demand for it?  How much effort needs to be put into production? Can you scale it easily? The list goes on and on. We sometimes get caught up in the great idea and do not do realistic research. Do not let your enthusiasm blind you from the facts of the market’s want and needs.

I love the fact that I have friends, followers and contacts from so many different cultural and business backgrounds. My large network gives me access to many different perspectives, and when mulling about a new business or product idea my network is idea “gold”. Thus tip number 3…

BRAINSTORM! If you have a large network, don’t be afraid to talk to them. Ask them about their thoughts. See what pros/cons they see in your idea(s). I scan my network for the most creative and strategic people. I look for those that will give me honest opinions. I have a thick skin, and you should too. Take their opinions and work them into your research and planning.

Bottom line, the best ideas come when you really aren’t trying. Dream and dream big … just not so big you create the impossible dream. Allowing your thoughts to wander aids in creativity, and if you can dream up ideas about things you are passionate about, all the better. I had a dream to create a Social Media agency, write a book, and create a new type of flashlight, I did all three (the flashlight idea I entered in the 4^th grade science fair, and got a blue ribbon for. A year or two later someone else created and marketed it as “Snake Style Flashlight.” I should have started that patent process straight away ;-).

For those who need a little help with new ideas, here’s an Information Week article from last year that might help: Great Ideas to Steal…

- Gaspare J. Marturano, Managing Director Digital Marketing and Social Media Fastlane Communications, LLC

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