DECA Crash Course Week 2: Idea Generation

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my DECA Crash Course. Today I'll be going over a really, really important aspect of creating your projects, idea generation.

Week 2: Idea Generation

Idea generation means different things for different events, but what I basically mean is, which type of business should you choose to create/research/develop a plan for, and does it even matter if the report is solid and well-written?

The short answer: Yes, the type of business you choose matters a lot. If you choose the wrong business, even a solid plan might not get you far. You should choose a business that you're passionate about but that's also realistic to compete with.

My advice is tailored toward entrepreneurship events because I've competed in ESB and EIB for the past three years. However, based on what I've seen from my friends' experiences, the following is applicable across pretty much every event. 

Here are the three main details you should keep in mind when choosing a business to pursue or when designing your own business:

• How judges of all backgrounds will react to your idea. Would male and female judges be equally interested in your business? Would older judges be more dismissive of your idea? Consider using a business that everyone can relate to, because you don't want to walk into the room with a disadvantage to begin with.
• If the business has an aspect of social good associated with it. People love to hear about how you're helping other people. While the main goal of your project should be to make the business money, choosing a business that tries to make change in the world is a bonus. This can work in many ways: perhaps the business treats their employees especially well, donates a percentage of their profits to charitable organizations, or had strong environmental impact last year. If you're designing your own business, try to include a small humanitarian aspect.
• How unique your business is compared to other competitors' ideas. This one is very tricky, because depending on your judge, your idea may or may not be well received. Don't go out of your way to be different (after all, there may be a reason why your idea hasn't been done before), but if you do come up with a novel business idea, then by all means, use it in your report! If you find a quirky business, it'll only help the judge stay engaged with your report and presentation. But if you find yourself in a place where all your business ideas have been taken, it just means that you're on the right track, and that whatever you've been coming up with is a product people need! Don't be discouraged, and just keep looking.

I hope this advice helps you decide what type of businesses to pursue for your projects this year. What types of businesses have you guys already competed with for your written events? Tell me below!

Have any additional questions? Let me know in the comments below or fill out this form here! This series is for all of you, so don't be afraid to ask me questions.

Thanks for reading, see you next week!

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