on the Back Burner

Over the years, I’ve had plenty of conversations with business owners that include some version of, “You know what we ought to do?”

Often, it’s a pretty good idea.

They’ve noticed a different customer who could use their product. A service people keep asking for. A new way to package something they already do well.

They know their business, and they can see the possibility.

Then we talk again six months later, and it’s still something they ought to do.

I understand why. There’s a business to run. Customers need attention. Employees need answers. The salespeople are busy selling what the company already offers.

An idea can be promising and still have trouble finding a place in the workweek.

That’s the part I find interesting. Seeing an opportunity might happen in a moment. Finding out whether it’s worth pursuing takes some dedicated attention.

Someone needs to look into it. Talk with a few potential customers. Think through what the offering might look like and what it would take to deliver it. Give the owner something concrete to consider.

It doesn’t have to be a big undertaking. A little focused work may be enough to decide whether to take another step.

Some ideas will turn out to be less promising than they first appeared. Others might have more potential than anyone realized.

I wonder how many worthwhile opportunities are sitting on the back burner in businesses that already have much of what they need to pursue them.

Maybe there’s one in yours.

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I help business owners develop what’s next. If something here sparks an idea or conversation, I’d enjoy hearing from you.