• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

4 reasons you need new small biz ideas

By Becky McCray

If you already have a business or already have an idea for your next business, you might think you don’t care about other small business ideas. I can think of four reasons that you ought to be looking for new business ideas.

    Vantage Plane Plastics

  1. Improvement.
    Every business, every day, can stand to improve. Be on the look out for ideas that let you do what you do now, only better.
  2. Innovation.
    Now we’re talking about making something new. Take the best elements of ideas you hear, and use them to create an innovative new way of doing business.
  3. Expansion.
    Let’s add on. Use a business idea to complement your existing business, expanding in a new way.
  4. Change the Game.
    A new business idea can change everything in your business, take you to a whole new area, or completely shift your paradigm.

So even though you thought you were all finished with the small business idea search, you’d be smart to keep some new ideas feeding into your head.

Where do you get new ideas?

Photo by Becky McCray, of an innovative Alva business.

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

  • About the Author
  • Latest by this Author
Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.

www.beckymccray.com
  • Will trendy axe throwing and escape room businesses last? More experience-based retail: the Hat Bar
  • Create customer experiences online like Open the Shop With Me videos, and in person, like Silent Book Club
  • How to let customers know when changing your business hours

October 14, 2009 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, ideas Tagged With: video

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Jamie Flinchbaugh says

    October 14, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    I completely agree. I keep a running list for many years with over 100 ideas. I make a point to put some effort into it. I do it for many reasons. First, it keeps my mind thinking in these terms. That requires practice. Second, it gets me good at saying no to ideas. Too many people fall in love with the first idea they come across without really thinking critically. And third, many ideas don’t become new businesses but take some other form as incremental improvement in my existing business, which seems to be one of your central points. Thanks for sharing. By the way, I put reviewing my list on my calendar so it’s not a “when I get around to it” activity.

    Jamie Flinchbaugh http://www.jamieflinchbaugh.com

    Loading...
  2. The Coolest Cool says

    October 14, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    Richard Branson put it like this – “Once we get comfortable as a company, I like to push the boat out again. My wife keeps saying, “Why? Why? You’re fifty. Take it easy. Let’s enjoy it….If I put all my money in the bank and drank myself to death in the Caribbean, I just think that would be a waste of the fantastic position I found myself in”

    Your four reasons are the underlying factors for why people like Branson continuously push themselves. At the end of the day; continuously wanting to improve yourself and your business should be on the top of your “to-do” list. The only way to improve in business is to be creative and ultimately come up with some fresh ideas.

    Although I don’t know exactly where my ideas come from but I believe it has something to do with being open minded. If you are willing to go out there and listen to what other people are saying (competitors, clients and consumers in general) this information will be stored in your memory and at the most random moment it will hit you.

    Loading...
  3. Stefan Doering says

    October 14, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    Your four points are nice reminders we all must continue to “sharpen the saw”, as Stephen Covey says.

    As customer habits and the marketplace are constantly changing, so must we.

    Thanks for the points.

    Loading...
  4. PartyWeDo says

    October 14, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    If it wasn’t for creative ideas, the world would be a sad place to live.

    I really like the 4th point. Change keeps us all on our toes and excited about what might be just around the next corner.

    Loading...
  5. Brad Harmon says

    October 15, 2009 at 9:27 am

    Henry Ford said “The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.” We should always be looking for ways to improve our business because there is always something that can be improved.

    My best ideas come from talking to other business owners about their successes and observing their failures. Even competitors will freely open up when approached with a sincere compliment and a humble attitude.

    Loading...
  6. Becky McCray says

    October 16, 2009 at 2:31 pm

    OK, you folks have me fired up now! Great insights!

    Loading...
  7. Joseph Manna, Infusionsoft says

    October 22, 2009 at 11:44 pm

    Change keeps us challenged and humble. It never hurts to try new techniques on an old game and change it. The advice shared here is fantastic advice for any fresh or veteran small business owner.

    ~Joe

    Loading...

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses. Logo with "Shop Indie Local"Move Your Money, bank local, invest localMulticolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"Save Your Town logotype

Best of Small Biz Survival

A few people shopping in an attractive retail store in refurbished downtown building.

TREND 2025: Retail’s Big Split: what small town retailers can do now

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission

Three kids in a canoe

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.

How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

Rural Tourism Trend: electric vehicle chargers can drive visitors

Wide view of a prairie landscape with a walk-through gate in a fence

Tourism: Make the most of scant remains and “not much to see” sites with a look-through sign

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2025 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in
%d