The Birth of an Idea

Snow Ears trudged down the path heavy on his paws. The day was still early and yet he felt as though he had already gone through three times a full day’s work. He was exhausted and the cramp in his neck only made matters worse.

Bonnie Rabbit appeared out of nowhere and crashed into him, sending him flying through the air and thudding down onto his back. In a flash, Bonnie was back on her feet and was soon hopping around Snow Ears all the while chanting, "I found you! I found you!" in her squeaky high pitch voice.

Snow Ears growled, "What do you want?"

With a big grin on her chubby face, Bonnie said, "I need your help."

Snow Ears glared. Bonnie had always been shy and quiet before, however, since her ear had been halved she had pestered him none stop with one hare-brain idea after another. He let out a long sigh. "What is it this time?"

"Well, I have this idea. I mean we all have different skills that make us employable right?"

"I am going to be late," Snow Ears said. "I have to go now."

"I can walk with you," Bonnie insisted and fell in step beside him. "You see, I was thinking, why don't we all come together and form a company."

"What will we sell?"

"Hmmmm. I don't know. I mean, my skill is in thinking about organizational structures, not products. But I think, if you can collect other rabbits or hares with specialized skills then maybe we can think up a product or service that requires all our skills."

Snow Ears stopped and stared. "That is not how you start a business. You only think of a business when you have something to sell then you think of budgets and organizations because your strategy will depend on your market. If you have no product, how can you plan a market strategy, how can you draw up an organization chart, how can you even plan a budget!" Snow Ears shrieked.

Bonnie cocked her head then chased after Snow Ears who had hastened away from her. "But it is an idea right? I mean we all have the necessary skill and we are all trained to sell anything. That is why we can work for anyone."

Snow Ears halted and listened as Bonnie panted, "That is why our skills can be sold in any market because they are flexible." She paused to study Snow Ear's face. "Right?"

"Yes, that is true. Let me think about it."

Bonnie skipped and hopped with glee. "Don't forget to include me in the group!" she called out to his receding form.

An idea began to form in Snow Ears mind. Would animals pay for information? Only the other day he had heard squirrels complaining about having to run all over the forest to find the cheapest nuts, and in the same day an owl had complained about sending his chicks to a school that did not provide the syllabus he deemed necessary for their survival skills. Could he sell information to them?

But not all information are reliable, he realized. Hence that meant that he will have to categorize them by order of their reliability. Then he thought about how they were going to collect information. Snow Ears himself had been trained to take surveys, and he knew that other hares and rabbits were trained to find the best prices for all imaginable items in the forest. Even the hares burrowing under the farmer's vegetable patch could provide information on the farmer's habits.

The more Snow Ears thought, the more excited he became. By the time he reached the office, he was so full of ideas that he had started to shiver with anxiety because he didn't know where to begin. After three deep breathes, he decided that it was best to start with a survey of the market. This way, when he does put the group together, they will be able to focus their energy on one area. Rabbits love information because most came from big extended families and staying informed was the only way to keep track of each other. Creating a company that will handle information was perfect for their temperament and interest, he concluded.

He must focus. First he had to find his market demographic, as well as know what kind of information is important to them. He sniffed and snuffled his forepaws by turn as he tried to decide what kind of data he must collect first before he could make a decision. Finally he drafted out a form that was part direct question and part observation.

Snow Ears scrutinized the form again. It was easy to use, and the data derived from it would help him decide if there was a market for information. A robin sung up in the branch, it was time to start work. He put the form away, and began to make copies of Scale’s article on the success of his self-esteem enhancement program.

Back to List            NEXT