The single most useful companion to any business owner has to be a business journal. I’m not talking about The Business Journal, although that’s bound to be useful too … but a simple, bound notebook where you record ideas and things you want to implement in your business.
It’s simple, human nature to read something, think “I’ve got to try that,” and promptly forget it. Most of us exist in a perpetual state of information overload. We pick up a trade journal, read a really great article, then go onto the next. Or we scan our Google Reader account for interesting blog posts, and read them one right after the other. Closer to home, you’re reading each of our 30-minute action tips for marketing your small business. It comes out twice each week (usually), but are you reading, then moving quickly to the next thing?
I’m making a conscious effort to find and record a take-away from each article I read, in my business journal. Sometimes it’s a topic or title for a future article, other times it’s a reminder to complete a task, such as “re-categorize EMM (my shorthand for this blog).”
If you’re like me, inspiration and ideas hit at the oddest times … when I’m busy on another project, out for a walk or driving around town on errands, in the shower, just waking up, etc. If I don’t write down those ideas as they come to me, they evaporate, so I keep a small notebook and a pencil with me at all times … well, most of the time, anyway.
But I want all my business ideas in one place, so as soon as I have the opportunity, those notes get moved over to my business journal. Now if I don’t have the time, energy, or money to get started right away, at least I have the idea or tiny little gem of an idea tucked away where I can find it again. A business journal keeps all those great ideas from evaporating.
I’ve heard that the average person has at least one million-dollar idea in their lifetime. It may come to you in bits and pieces, be inspired from a variety of sources, and like a fine wine, require time to ferment. Began capturing those gems now in your journal. You won’t regret it.
Do you keep a business journal?
I’m not sure if I called it a business journal but I surely have a notebook where I keep all my notes on things or thoughts about my business.
I think in any case, not just in business, people should be carrying paper and pens around. Good ideas pop out of our minds anywhere we are. And if we forgot about it, then we’ll lose the chance to share it with other. Or possibly make something good out of it.
You’re so right about that. I wonder how many great ideas have evaporated into thin air for lack of a pen and paper!
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Hello, I guess this is as good of a place as any to post and let you know. I tried to subscribe to your RSS feed, but when i clicked it I got an error that said “Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING” followed by other gibberish that scrolled off the screen. I had to force the page to stop loading because it locked up my browser. Just thought you might like to know.
Hey,
I agree with you that keeping some form of journal is important, and I actually have one, well sort of. I use a note pad but the problem is that I lose track of what pages I have put all my ideas on and it becomes a mess!! Sort of defeats the purpose really. I think I need to be a bit more organized like you seem to be.
Thanks for sharing ideas
I’ve just checked my RSS feed in every format available on the site and can’t get the problem you describe to replicate. It all works fine on this end. What browser are you using?
It is a struggle to keep it organized! Keeping one main business journal seems to be the key. It’s working for now, anyway!
I prefer to take notes of my ideas, observations, inspirations anywhere I go, the old fashioned way. Like others, I always keep a small notebook and pen in hand.
When I get home or if I have the time, I then go over my notes and expand the ideas into a blog post. I have a locally hosted wordpress on my laptop for that. I dont want to share them with the world since I treat my “business journal” as a no-holds bar zone, so I say things in there that I would not dare say in public and it gives my mind more space to explore a thought or to be more creative since I do not have to worry about proper grammar and punctuations.
I have just started noting down in my business journal where I am spending most of my working time. What I mean by this is that I hope it will help me to become more productive in the long run. Even though I have only been doing this for the last 2 weeks I am wasting a huge amount of time on non productive work.
Yes i have a business journal where i note all my business dealings.Eventhough it is not well organised it helps me when i forget something.so i think it is a good idea to keep a business journal.