Your idea in a nutshell

My husband says I am an idea machine. If my head were transparent, it would show cogs working in a frenzy every time I get an idea for a business or story. It can be exciting but super-crazy at times, especially when I'm trying to sleep.

But it's all good because as a journalist and fiction writer, my bread and butter comes from ideas. However, without a clear focus, my cogs overheat and sputter, spurring me to abandon the idea and move on.

This same principle applies to products.

For a product to sell, it needs a clear focus.

Late last year, my son decided he wanted to go with his eighth grade class to Washington DC this summer. It would undoubtedly be a terrific opportunity, except it was going to cost $2,000 we didn't have.

After trying out a few creative fundraising projects that didn't go very far, I encouraged him to do a fundraising event. It would be an intense two months, but the potential was great. He was intimidated, but I said I'd help him, so he agreed.

So the first thing we thought of was, what kind of event?

I grew up in the Philippines, so I put in a plug for a Philippine fiesta. Problem was, there aren't too many Filipinos where we live, and so it would limit our audience.

Then we decided it would be a couples dinner and dance and started looking for a location.

The first time someone asked him, "What is your event?" my son thought for a minute and said, "It's a dress-up kind of dinner and dance for couples."

Once he figured out WHAT he was putting on, we eliminated locations and details that didn't help with the end result we wanted.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. In one sentence, what is your product/event/business about?
2. Who is your audience?
3. What image do you want to convey? Does your business or product name convey this?

Buzz wants to know: What is your product or service in a nutshell?