How to Choose One Business Idea
(When You Run Out of Sticky Notes)
If you’re anything like the smart, creative GenXers I work with, you don’t have a shortage of business ideas. You have a notebook full of them. Or a whiteboard. Or maybe a Trello board, a spreadsheet, a pile of sticky notes, or a digital graveyard of half-written Google Docs.
That ability to generate ideas is probably one of the reasons entrepreneurship calls to you.
But if you don’t pick one idea and move it forward, you won’t have a business. You’ll be a forever wantrepreneur.
But less dramatically, you won’t be able to help the people that really need your coaching or consulting talents AND you won’t be putting anything in your bank account.
So how about we get organized about this:
Step One: Get It All Out of Your Head
When you’re swirling in ideas, the best first step is to get them out of your monkey mind and put them out where you can see or hear them. Here are three approaches that work—pick the one that matches your learning style:
1. If you’re a visual thinker:
Use a mind map. (I like MindNode for this.) Write “My Business” in the center and branch out all your ideas. See how they connect. Look for patterns. Rearrange. Reorganize. You might find out that ideas #2 and #4 are really the same thing—or that one offshoot of idea #5 doesn’t belong there at all.
2. If you’re a verbal processor:
Open the voice recorder on your phone and just talk it out. No editing. No judgment. Then transcribe it (you can even feed it to ChatGPT) and ask for help finding the most promising ideas.
3. If writing things helps you think:
Make a list with four columns: Skills | Strengths | Experiences | Interests Fill it out. Then share it with a friend and ask what they see. Or use a prompt like: “Which of these has the potential to become a profitable business, and why?” (Just remember, a GPT can be a great brainstorming buddy, but it can also get you way off track unless you also include some prompts that will focus the conversation.)
Step Two: Give Your Ideas Some Structure
Pick your top 2–3 ideas and run them through this quick filter:
- Who would I be helping?
- What problem would I be solving?
- How would they feel after I helped them solve it?
You’re just guessing right now—but this step helps turn the idea into something more tangible. Something real.
And once things feel real, it’s time to test.
Step Three: Take One Small Action (This Week)
I say it all the time – plans give you confidence but action gives you clarity. Pick your favorite idea. Pick one small move. And do it in the next 3 days. Here are three options:
- Send a test email Reach out to someone who is similar to the person you want to help. Say, “Hey, I’m exploring an idea for a business that helps [X type of person] with [Y problem]. What do you think?
- Post about your idea on your personal channel “I’m exploring an idea to help [group] with [problem]. Curious—would this be useful to you or someone you know?”
- Offer to help someone for free Get feedback.
If you want more depth on this, check out:
What To Do When You’re Overwhelmed With Ideas on YouTube or you can listen on Spotify | Apple
And whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you build your business:
- 📥 Download The GenX Escape Plan → Your 3-step roadmap to starting a profitable coaching or consulting business
- 💡Grab a year’s worth of know/like/trust content prompts with the Thought Leadership Content Generator
- 💰 Watch this quick video to get the inside track on how you can make ANY coaching or consulting niche more profitable.
