Idea Validation & Business Sandbox Concepts

In my latest quest for business wisdom, I came across two new concepts that really got me thinking. Maybe the business terms below are not new to you, but they are to me. Let me share these with you:

New Concept #1: "Idea Validation" for business ideas
Very helpful link: http://www.sramanamitra.com/clarify-your-story-excerpt/

New Concept #2: The Business Idea or New Product "Sandbox"
No link here, unless I can link to my husband's IT industry brain!

I suppose I can't say that idea validation is a new concept to me - just a new term for an old issue that we all deal with as business people. Tammy and I always joke that we have I.D.D. - Idea Distraction Disorder! As idea people, we have a challenge; validating these new ideas to figure out if, in fact, they will land as great opportunities or if they should keep flying by.

Brainstorming and masterminding sessions are great ways to solicit feedback from others on business ideas and plans. Other ways include researching the market, surveying potential customers and prayer. As Godly women, we realize that God ideas are the ones that should move forward, not just good ideas!

Apparently "the sandbox" idea has been around for a long time in the technology industry. My husband and his co-workers use "the sandbox" concept when they are working on a new product launch or have a new system or tool. The sandbox is where they meet (usually virtually) to "play" with stuff to see what works and what doesn't. I love that image of adults coming to a sandbox, sitting down and testing things out and experimenting. Build it up, work with it, reshape it, move it around, tear it down, etc.

How can you use the sandbox concept in your business or career? What do you need to test out or play with and allow others to interact with? Actually, I can clearly see how these two concepts can work together quite nicely. Bring new ideas to a sandbox and watch how they transform.

Please comment and let us know your thoughts!

by Krista Dunk, http://www.kbwomen.com/ http://kbwa.memberlodge.com/

Goal Setting Tele-Class - March 25th

Hello Business Women of Faith,

Did you know that the KBWA Association has a monthly learning topic each month ?
See 2010 Tele-Class learning topics.

The date and time for our March "Effective Goal Setting" tele-class with guest expert Pastor Ray Frederick is scheduled for;

THURSDAY, MARCH 25TH AT 2:30PM PST.

KBWA members have free access to all tele-classes. Non-members can register for just $9 per class. Can't listen live? No problem - All who register will receive the audio file for the recorded tele-class via email on Friday the 26th. Make the time to take in his wisdom on this topic; it is going to be an excellent information.

For more information and to register, visit http://KBWA.memberlodge.com/march10.

Did you know that KBWA offers a free membership level? Intro Members can create a profile which shows their business information in the KBWA Member Directory, which will give your business more exposure on the web. http://kbwa.memberlodge.com/.

Have a wonderful rest of the week. I am praying for your souls, lives and businesses to prosper.
~Krista Dunk, KBWA Association Leader and KBWomen Co-Founder

Setting Goals - Do You Trust Yourself?

Do you love to set goals? Do you tend to avoid setting goals? Are you indifferent about it?

While researching about goal setting, I found several websites with goal setting statistics. The statistics showed that the number of adults who set goals and write them down is only between 3-7% of the population. The number that review them regularly was even lower. Without first having goals, then writing them down and working towards them...I'm sure the chances are very slim for them to become reality!

I have to admit I have not always wanted to set goals. In theory, they were a great idea, but I had a problem with writing them down. Writing them down was scary because there they were, "in my face." If they didn't happen as planned or weren't achieved, it felt like failure. Also, for a long time I had no vision for my future, and so what I did write down were things only temporarily meaningful. I didn't trust my own goals.

We all have things we would like to see happen in our lives, such as;

• Developing a talent or learning a new skill,
• To have financial goals, such as sticking to a budget, investing or increasing business sales,
• Spiritual growth and drawing closer to God on a daily basis,
• Setting health-related goals or getting better time management strategies, or
• Planning for hiring employees or other help.

We can use specific, detailed goals to reach a big, desired vision. In other words, individual goals are the chunks that are necessary to accomplish on the way to the main vision being achieved. Want to build a business up to a certain revenue amount in 18 months? That is the vision, and the goal chunks are the step-by-step pieces to get there. Sounds easy right?

My goal-setting mentor really helped change my perspective and give me practical strategies. In fact, it changed the way my husband and I set goals for our family, our finances, his career path planning, and my businesses. Would you like to have this wisdom too? My mentor, Pastor Ray Frederick, will be our KBWA Member tele-class expert this month. He has excellent, Biblically-based wisdom and ideas to share on this topic, and I encourage you to participate.

KBWA Members get all monthly tele-classes free, and non-members can join us for just $9 per class. You can find out more here. Get a new strategy and perspective so that you have the tools you need to move forward and be effective. Not only will this information be valuable to you as a woman in business, but also applicable to any goal-setting area of life.

You can move forward. You can plan well for your future. You can accomplish God's purposes for your life and use goal-setting to do just that. It is time to be empowered!

by Krista Dunk, www.KBWomen.com