Quick Tip:
Big-Idea Resources
By Will Newman

Stories that can stimulate Big Ideas for your promotions are literally everywhere. But you have to look for them … with open eyes and an open mind.

Here are some specific suggestions to get you started:

Magazines and Newspapers

Financial magazines and newspapers like Barron's, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal have lots of fodder for Big Ideas.

Science magazines are great places to find out about possible future technologies and health developments – which you might be able to develop into Big Ideas that would interest investors. For example, New Scientist was one of the first mainstream science magazines to seriously discuss nanotechnology for killing cancer cells.

Other science magazines to check out include Science News, Scientific American, Nature, and Science. (The last two are expensive, but can be read at most libraries.)

E-letters

Because of their publication schedules, print magazines usually deal with stories that are at least six months old. Which means online e-letters are often a better source of cutting-edge ideas. A few examples: Early to Rise, Health Sciences Institute (HSI), Dr. Mercola's e-letter, and Ray Kurzweil's newsletter about futurist research.

TV and Radio News Features

Listen to and watch a wide variety of radio and TV news features and commentary, regardless of their political orientation. NPR, especially on the weekend, has lots of stories that stimulate curiosity. So do MSNBC and CNN.

Once you snag an idea that interests you, that's your starting point. Then the fun begins. Research as much about it as you can. This is where the depth comes from … and the excitement.