Looking abroad can be a great place to discover a new product, a way to learn a new way of marketing an existing product, or it can simply provide a place to find some inspiration.Finding holes within a community or observing how others have found solutions to a problem in a different location can help you apply those same concepts in your location.

Look Abroad

We all have strengths and weaknesses and we can all learn a lot from those who focus on being the best in their field. However, oftentimes those who are the best in their fields have arrived there thanks to the challenges that they faced.Steven Spielberg, for example, struggled immensely with dyslexia which caused him to drop out of school. Because of his struggles, he started to dream up his own stories and gifted the world with movies Jurassic Park, ET, and Schindlers List.

Turn Unexpected Failures Into Successes

Demographic changes bring people new desires and needs, and of course, this presents entrepreneurs with opportunities to meet them.

Demographic Changes

If we are not effectively and efficiently observing our surroundings, how will we be able to provide solutions to the problems that we are facing?You can even take meditation a step further and add in journaling

Meditate

<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*DdknuerZgqG" width="785" height="523"><figcaption class="im in cz cx cy io ip ce b ga cg fi" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@laughayette?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck iq" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Marten Newhall</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck iq" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>Freedom seekers are always looking for new and inventive ways to start their own business in pursuit of financial independence, an outlet for creativity, and control over their career paths.Many people dream of making this a reality but the trouble is, you first need to come up with a winning concept.Stephen Key, author of One Simple Idea for Startups and Entrepreneurs: Live Your Dreams and Create Your Own Profitable Company, explains “you have to come up with a lot of ideas to be successful.”In other words, your first idea is likely not going to be the one that makes you a millionaire. It is a process and the sooner you get the ball rolling and creative juices flowing with lots of ideas, the better.I personally sat with and tried many ideas before I found success in the real estate world. It took me a long time to figure it out, but I finally penetrated this large industry by investing in properties and then put my own individual spin on things by offering unique consultation services.Thinking of that perfectly unique concept can be difficult but here are five alternative routes that you can use to help you get there.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Look Abroad</h2>Looking abroad can be a great place to discover a new product, a way to learn a new way of marketing an existing product, or it can simply provide a place to find some inspiration.Jimmy Cregan founded a very successful iced coffee business <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/02/01/ceo-healthier-and-happier-after-ditching-mercedes-c63-supercar-for-e-cargobike/?sh=3d96d94923e3" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">after traveling to Australia</a> and discovering that iced coffees were hugely popular. He assumed that because there was such a large market in Australia for this beverage, he would likely have success elsewhere with it. He was correct — bringing an already existing product into a new marketplace proved to be very profitable for him.Similarly, by looking abroad, I have personally found a certain phenomenon is happening thanks to the global Covid-19 pandemic.The pandemic has caused what people are referring to as “urban flight” — many people are selling their homes, fleeing city life, and either moving to more rural areas or, more specifically, moving abroad.Spend a little bit of time on YouTube and you will quickly find channels like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK6F8uQxNjAmATqC96RKmjQ" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">The Dufresnes</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC43B4-JD2O0MYGwTuuDYeLQ" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">The Unbreakable Family</a>, who now live in Costa Rica and offer special consultation services to families who are also looking to move abroad.These services include setting people up with reliable lawyers and realtors in the area, explaining how to open foreign bank accounts, how to purchase a vehicle, and individualized tours.<figcaption>Video by Chris Dufresnes, “The Dufresnes”, via YouTube</figcaption>Finding holes within a community or observing how others have found solutions to a problem in a different location can help you apply those same concepts in your location.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Turn Unexpected Failures Into Successes</h2><BLOCKQUOTE>“You can dart between the raindrops to get where you want to go. Your weaknesses will not hold you back” (Steven Spielberg, <a href="https://www.additudemag.com/steven-spielberg-dyslexia-hollywood-success/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">ADDitude Magazine</a>)</BLOCKQUOTE>We all have strengths and weaknesses and we can all learn a lot from those who focus on being the best in their field. However, oftentimes those who are the best in their fields have arrived there thanks to the challenges that they faced.Steven Spielberg, for example, struggled immensely with dyslexia which caused him to drop out of school. Because of his struggles, he started to dream up his own stories and gifted the world with movies Jurassic Park, ET, and Schindlers List.While it may feel like our weaknesses hold us back, I prefer to analyze these perceived mini failures to help me zone in on my strengths.I personally continue to learn about my own strengths and weaknesses as I move through my journey as an entrepreneur. At 29 years old, I have acquired $1.5 million in real estate and consider myself on the way to being a successful real estate investor.However, it was not always smooth sailing — it did take me a while to find my sweet spot.Let me break down what I have learned about myself over the last few years in the business world.Weaknesses: I am naturally an introvert and quite shy — this causes me to feel overwhelmed and drained in a sales or office environment. Furthermore, this is why I did not find success in real estate acquisitions for a large utility company or in real estate sales.Strengths: I am extremely adaptable as well as numbers and data-driven; this is why I have found great success in becoming a real estate investor and managing my own business. I simply had to pivot from what I was initially doing.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Demographic Changes</h2>A population that is going through a notable change can be an excellent business opportunity.For example, the work from home movement is causing changes in population distribution worldwide. With the urban flight that has happened over the last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, smaller more rural towns are now experiencing changes in age distribution, occupations, and education.Small towns that were once mostly populated by farmers and older, more traditional residents have now seen an influx of younger people coming from the city.This is causing demand and a market for things like plant-based alternatives, boutique shops, transportation services, and recreational activities.Demographic changes bring people with new desires and needs, and of course, this presents entrepreneurs with opportunities to meet them.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Look For New Niches</h2>You do not need to reinvent the wheel to have a good business plan.<BLOCKQUOTE>“Take a look at what some of the big players in an industry are missing and figure out if you can fill the gaps”— Steven Key, One Simple Idea for Startups and Entrepreneurs: Live Your Dreams and Create Your Own Profitable Company</BLOCKQUOTE>As mentioned above, some people are now offering consultation services to people relocating to their areas. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK6F8uQxNjAmATqC96RKmjQ" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">The Dufresnes</a>, who have a great YouTube channel, have found a way to offer their services to families looking to relocate to Costa Rica.However, more specifically, what differentiates the Dufresnes from other relocation services is that they offer specialized consultation and management services for people looking to build shipping container homes.This is an extremely niche market but it works for them because it is a great way for people to build in the challenging Costa Rican climate. Building with traditional supplies like wood leads to homes quickly deteriorating thanks to the hot, humid, and salty air.Building modern shipping container homes is becoming increasingly popular in that area and because the Dufresnes built three of their own shipping container homes (one is their own and two are rental properties), they now offer their expertise to people coming to the area and looking to build something similar.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Meditate</h2>If you have not already watched Andy Puddicombe’s Ted Talk, this is a great place to start.<figcaption>Andy Puddicombe in video by TED, via YouTube</figcaption>Puddicombe explains why taking the time to stop and care for our minds is an essential part of the creative process. He explains that we are so incredibly distracted that we are no longer able to pay attention to the world that we are living in.If we are not effectively and efficiently observing our surroundings, how will we be able to provide solutions to the problems that we are facing?You can even take meditation a step further and add in journaling.All of us have big visions for the future, but I often find that mine get lost in a sea of non-specific thinking and I lose sight of what I need to do to make that vision happen.On the one hand, I find that meditation gives me time to dream and envision my ideal self, while journaling gives me time to zero in on actionable plans.As corny as it sounds, taking that time every morning to zero in on my goals and dreams, what I was grateful for, and what I aspired for, really helps me to set my intentions.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Final Thoughts</h2>Finding your niche as an entrepreneur can be difficult and sometimes you have to look in unexpected places.The good news is that you do not need to be harboring a technological breakthrough in order to succeed. Oftentimes, taking the time to carefully observe the world around you and putting your own unique spin on an already existing system can be the magic touch that you need.

Freedom seekers are always looking for new and inventive ways to start their own business in pursuit of financial independence, an outlet for creativity, and control over their career paths. Many…

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Freedom seekers are always looking for new and inventive ways to start their own business in pursuit of financial independence, an outlet for creativity, and control over their career paths.

Many people dream of making this a reality but the trouble is, you first need to come up with a winning concept.

Stephen Key, author of One Simple Idea for Startups and Entrepreneurs: Live Your Dreams and Create Your Own Profitable Company, explains “you have to come up with a lot of ideas to be successful.”

In other words, your first idea is likely not going to be the one that makes you a millionaire. It is a process and the sooner you get the ball rolling and creative juices flowing with lots of ideas, the better.

I personally sat with and tried many ideas before I found success in the real estate world. It took me a long time to figure it out, but I finally penetrated this large industry by investing in properties and then put my own individual spin on things by offering unique consultation services.

Thinking of that perfectly unique concept can be difficult but here are five alternative routes that you can use to help you get there.

Looking abroad can be a great place to discover a new product, a way to learn a new way of marketing an existing product, or it can simply provide a place to find some inspiration.

Jimmy Cregan founded a very successful iced coffee business <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/02/01/ceo-healthier-and-happier-after-ditching-mercedes-c63-supercar-for-e-cargobike/?sh=3d96d94923e3">after traveling to Australia </a>and discovering that iced coffees were hugely popular. He assumed that because there was such a large market in Australia for this beverage, he would likely have success elsewhere with it. He was correct — bringing an already existing product into a new marketplace proved to be very profitable for him.

Similarly, by looking abroad, I have personally found a certain phenomenon is happening thanks to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has caused what people are referring to as “urban flight” — many people are selling their homes, fleeing city life, and either moving to more rural areas or, more specifically, moving abroad.

Spend a little bit of time on YouTube and you will quickly find channels like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK6F8uQxNjAmATqC96RKmjQ">The Dufresnes </a>or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC43B4-JD2O0MYGwTuuDYeLQ">The Unbreakable Family </a>, who now live in Costa Rica and offer special consultation services to families who are also looking to move abroad.

These services include setting people up with reliable lawyers and realtors in the area, explaining how to open foreign bank accounts, how to purchase a vehicle, and individualized tours.

Finding holes within a community or observing how others have found solutions to a problem in a different location can help you apply those same concepts in your location.

“You can dart between the raindrops to get where you want to go. Your weaknesses will not hold you back” (Steven Spielberg, <a href="https://www.additudemag.com/steven-spielberg-dyslexia-hollywood-success/">ADDitude Magazine </a>)

We all have strengths and weaknesses and we can all learn a lot from those who focus on being the best in their field. However, oftentimes those who are the best in their fields have arrived there thanks to the challenges that they faced.

Steven Spielberg, for example, struggled immensely with dyslexia which caused him to drop out of school. Because of his struggles, he started to dream up his own stories and gifted the world with movies Jurassic Park, ET, and Schindlers List.

While it may feel like our weaknesses hold us back, I prefer to analyze these perceived mini failures to help me zone in on my strengths.

I personally continue to learn about my own strengths and weaknesses as I move through my journey as an entrepreneur. At 29 years old, I have acquired $1.5 million in real estate and consider myself on the way to being a successful real estate investor.

However, it was not always smooth sailing — it did take me a while to find my sweet spot.

Let me break down what I have learned about myself over the last few years in the business world.

Weaknesses: I am naturally an introvert and quite shy — this causes me to feel overwhelmed and drained in a sales or office environment. Furthermore, this is why I did not find success in real estate acquisitions for a large utility company or in real estate sales.

Strengths: I am extremely adaptable as well as numbers and data-driven; this is why I have found great success in becoming a real estate investor and managing my own business. I simply had to pivot from what I was initially doing.

A population that is going through a notable change can be an excellent business opportunity.

For example, the work from home movement is causing changes in population distribution worldwide. With the urban flight that has happened over the last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, smaller more rural towns are now experiencing changes in age distribution, occupations, and education.

Small towns that were once mostly populated by farmers and older, more traditional residents have now seen an influx of younger people coming from the city.

This is causing demand and a market for things like plant-based alternatives, boutique shops, transportation services, and recreational activities.

Demographic changes bring people with new desires and needs, and of course, this presents entrepreneurs with opportunities to meet them.

You do not need to reinvent the wheel to have a good business plan.

“Take a look at what some of the big players in an industry are missing and figure out if you can fill the gaps”

— Steven Key, One Simple Idea for Startups and Entrepreneurs: Live Your Dreams and Create Your Own Profitable Company

As mentioned above, some people are now offering consultation services to people relocating to their areas. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK6F8uQxNjAmATqC96RKmjQ">The Dufresnes </a>, who have a great YouTube channel, have found a way to offer their services to families looking to relocate to Costa Rica.

However, more specifically, what differentiates the Dufresnes from other relocation services is that they offer specialized consultation and management services for people looking to build shipping container homes.

This is an extremely niche market but it works for them because it is a great way for people to build in the challenging Costa Rican climate. Building with traditional supplies like wood leads to homes quickly deteriorating thanks to the hot, humid, and salty air.

Building modern shipping container homes is becoming increasingly popular in that area and because the Dufresnes built three of their own shipping container homes (one is their own and two are rental properties), they now offer their expertise to people coming to the area and looking to build something similar.

If you have not already watched Andy Puddicombe’s Ted Talk, this is a great place to start.

Puddicombe explains why taking the time to stop and care for our minds is an essential part of the creative process. He explains that we are so incredibly distracted that we are no longer able to pay attention to the world that we are living in.

If we are not effectively and efficiently observing our surroundings, how will we be able to provide solutions to the problems that we are facing?

You can even take meditation a step further and add in journaling.

All of us have big visions for the future, but I often find that mine get lost in a sea of non-specific thinking and I lose sight of what I need to do to make that vision happen.

On the one hand, I find that meditation gives me time to dream and envision my ideal self, while journaling gives me time to zero in on actionable plans.

As corny as it sounds, taking that time every morning to zero in on my goals and dreams, what I was grateful for, and what I aspired for, really helps me to set my intentions.

Finding your niche as an entrepreneur can be difficult and sometimes you have to look in unexpected places.

The good news is that you do not need to be harboring a technological breakthrough in order to succeed. Oftentimes, taking the time to carefully observe the world around you and putting your own unique spin on an already existing system can be the magic touch that you need.

5 Unexpected Places to Find Your Next Big Idea

Look Abroad

Turn Unexpected Failures Into Successes

Demographic Changes

Meditate

Markus 's ideas are part of this journey:

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