How to turn your eureka moment into reality

MANILA, Philippines - How often do you come up with a bright idea while you’re in the shower or looking out the window on a road trip?

You get excited but later get deflated when you realize that you have no idea how to turn your moment of brilliance into reality. And then one day you regret it when you see someone come along making big money from the very same idea.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to come up with a business idea or a brilliant invention. Look at the Frisbee. It resembles nothing more than a plastic plate, but it gives loads of fun.

Make an action plan. Ideas can come from anywhere. How to turn them into reality is another story.

“One of the most common mistakes that people trying to execute their ideas make is not making an action plan that will help them see their idea from the conception to the execution stage,” according to Manila-based idea consultant and writer Shweta Ganesh Kumar, who heads First Feather Consultants (www.firstfeatherconsultants.com). “Most people only think of an idea in terms of a finished product and not as the starting point. This is the biggest mistake that first-time entrepreneurs make.”

Even boredom can be the start of something big. This was the case with Kumar, who moved to Manila with her husband in 2009 right after her wedding.

“The biggest challenge that I faced was getting gainful employment. Having an Indian passport made it next to impossible for me to get a job, as not many employers were ready to pay for a work permit, when they could employ a local for the same job without any hassles,” relates Kumar.

Her experience as a reporter for CNN’s affiliate in New Delhi gave her a fallback and she went into full-time writing. “But it got me wondering about the many others who are unemployed or stuck in jobs that they dislike, and I figured that this service would help them get a new perspective and start something of their own. And that is how First Feather was conceived.”

Believe in your idea. One of the most common stumbling blocks between a eureka moment and reality is doubt, says Kumar. “The first is a lack of dedication to see their ideas through. This is mostly because of a lack of drive or the lack of an absolute belief in their idea to see it to its potential. The second most common obstacle is failing to set timelines for themselves for the execution of their ideas.”

When Kumar was sought advice for a coffee shop idea, she asked the client what his target date for launch and then proceeded to thresh out a timetable for putting up the shop. The idea was to keep the mind focused on the objective to avoid distractions.

Be passionate about your idea. At times, believing that your idea will work may not be enough. You need the determination to see it through.

“First Feather was created with individuals who want to start something new in the creative/business space in mind. We cater to those who are talented and who have the passion to start something new but are not sure of how to start something new or even what to do. This is the niche that we want to operate within.”

In 2009, Kumar’s former colleague in India, Prerna Uppal, moved to London to be with her husband. It gave her the opportunity to explore her writing. “While I had enjoyed my stint as a reporter, I knew I wanted to do something different than write news,” says Uppal. “But at the time I had so much on my plate. I was running about like a headless chicken and accomplishing next to nothing.”

Uppal knew, however, that she wanted to be a writer without having to give up time for volunteer work and other pursuits, which include a food blog (www.foodoodle.wordpress.com). Kumar helped her straighten her priorities and taught her how to manage her time.

Explore different perspectives. Ideas, while they may seem brilliant, are spontaneous thoughts. Tweaking or refining them may be necessary. For that, you may need a different set of eyes to look at it from a different angle just like an editor looks over a reporter’s copy. That is where First Feather comes in.

Kumar has been giving friends practical advice for years until she realized that she could set up a consultancy. “I have always found it interesting to help people transform their passions into lifelong ventures that they can sustain,” she says.

“As an entrepreneur, it is a wonderful feeling to see individuals benefiting from my venture’s services. The fact that we are assisting clients in realizing the true extent of their creative and entrepreneurial skills is what gives me the biggest high.”