Having a Business Idea · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Where Do Business Ideas Come From?

Life Skills · Entrepreneurship · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What is an invention?

    • Something brand new that nobody has made before
    • Something that makes an old idea work a little better
    • Something you can buy at any store

  2. Which of these is a problem that a business idea could solve?

    • Your shoes keep coming untied while you walk
    • Today is a sunny day
    • Your favorite color is blue

  3. Chester Greenwood got cold ears while ice skating, and that problem led him to invent earmuffs.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A company takes a backpack that already exists and adds a new pocket just for a water bottle. Is this an invention or an innovation?

    • An invention, because it is a totally new object
    • An innovation, because the backpack already existed and got better
    • Neither, because backpacks cannot be improved

  5. Leo's lunch box always tips over and spills his food. What is a good first step toward a business idea?

    • Think of a way to make a lunch box that stays upright
    • Decide lunch boxes will always tip over
    • Buy a brand new lunch box every week

  6. Where did Chester Greenwood's idea for earmuffs come from?

    • A problem he noticed in his own life: cold ears while skating
    • An idea he read about in a science magazine
    • A suggestion from a customer who visited his shop

  7. Ben wants a business idea, so he copies a big company's product exactly without noticing any problem of his own. Is this the best way to find an idea?

    • It doesn't matter, since every idea is exactly the same
    • Yes, copying a big company always works best
    • No, strong ideas usually start with noticing a real problem first

  8. Maya wants to sell friendship bracelets, but she didn't invent bracelets. Is her business idea still valid?

    • No, only brand new inventions can become businesses
    • Yes, selling or improving something that already exists can be a business idea too
    • No, because bracelets are not a problem
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Where Do Business Ideas Come From? W1-mt_RTwmvr9R7V-s1

  1. Something brand new that nobody has made before · An invention is a brand new thing. Making an old thing better is called an innovation.
  2. Your shoes keep coming untied while you walk · A problem is something that bothers you or is hard to do, like shoes that keep coming untied. A sunny day or a favorite color is not a problem to solve.
  3. True · His cold ears were the everyday problem. Solving it turned into a real business idea.
  4. An innovation, because the backpack already existed and got better · The backpack already existed. Adding a useful pocket makes it better, so that counts as an innovation.
  5. Think of a way to make a lunch box that stays upright · Noticing the tipping problem is the first step. The next step is thinking up a way to fix it.
  6. A problem he noticed in his own life: cold ears while skating · He felt the cold ears himself. Many entrepreneurs get their ideas from problems they notice in their own daily life.
  7. No, strong ideas usually start with noticing a real problem first · Good business ideas usually start with a real problem. Copying without noticing a problem often misses what people actually need.
  8. Yes, selling or improving something that already exists can be a business idea too · You don't have to invent something new to start a business. Offering or improving something that already exists counts too.
Worksheet · LightMySky