Problem: Article: You will need to buy powdered milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, cornstarch, and unscented bubble bath. These ingredients can be found at most supermarkets. Almost any brand of these products should work to create the bath mixture.  Nestle and Carnation are brands that produce powdered milk products.  Hershey’s and Ghirardelli produce unsweetened cocoa powder. Many grocery stores, like Walmart and Target, produce generic brands of corn starch, though can also buy brand names, like Argo.  100% pure, EveryDay Shea, and Dr. Teal’s produces unscented bubble bath.
Summary: Obtain the ingredients.

Problem: Article: To be eligible for the show in Canada, you'll need to own a house that's an hour away from Vancouver. This includes North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, and Surrey. Use a map to determine if your house would qualify for the show. If you are trying to apply to the Vancouver Love It or List It, you'll have to fill out a specific application. Go through the form and answer all of the questions to the best of your knowledge. Make sure to inject your family's unique personality into the questionnaire. Love It or List It will want to see your house to get an understanding of the potential renovations that may have to take place, as well as see what your family looks like. To complete the application, include 3-5 photos of the exterior of the house, 3-5 photos of each interior room that needs to be addressed, and 1-3 photos clearly showing your family. Do not use slideshows or online-only photo formats because they won't be accepted. You can print out your application and send it to a physical address at C/O Guest Casting, 2400 Boundary Road Burnaby, BC, V5M 3Z3 or you can e-mail your application to westcasting@bigcoatproductions.com. Typically it can take anywhere from two weeks to a month to hear a response from the show.
Summary: Own a house in Vancouver. Fill out the application. Take photos of your house and family. Mail or e-mail your application to Big Coat Media, Canada.

Problem: Article: Measuring the front is easiest because there are no protruding ports. Make sure to measure all the way to the end of any rounded edges. If you need to know the width in centimeters but only have the inches measurement, multiply the inches by 2.54 to find the measurement in centimeters.  For example, a 14 inch wide laptop is 35.6 centimeters (14 x 2.54 = 35.56).
Summary: Start the tape measure at the front left or right corner. Measure straight across the front of the laptop to the other front corner. Convert inches to centimeters (if necessary).

Problem: Article: The best ideas are useless if you can't see a way to develop them into a fully-functioning business. When you've come up with several of them through brainstorming, assess your ideas using the following criteria:  Are you the right person to build on this idea? Do you have the experience or technical know-how required to solve this problem better than your competitors? Will customers want this product or service? A product can be useful in theory, but not enough to make customers actually pay for it. Does this idea solve a problem that the customer has? Does it do so effectively and efficiently? Is the market ready? Consider your potential competitors and the barriers to entry that they may present. Also, think about whether there are enough prospective customers to keep your business afloat. Consider your operations. Can you make a business structure to build or provide this product or service? More importantly, can you gather the capital required to develop and build it? Be prepared for the challenges and opportunities that come with the small business ideas you are brainstorming. For example, think about the following:  The money you will need to start. Brainstorm how much capital will be required to start your small business. Talk through the best ways to raise that money, whether through loans or investors. The logistical factors that are involved. List the operational aspects of your small business that will need attention, including staff, inventory, physical space for the business and marketing costs. Your timeline. Figure out how much time it will take to start the small business and turn it into a success. Your long-term plan. Figure out what needs to be done first, then the next steps after that. The best idea can be chosen according to a few important criteria. First, assess the cost. Can you come up with the money needed to pursue this idea? Then, consider your business's ability to create this product or service. Do you have the expertise, capability, and capacity needed? Finally, look for a competitive advantage in your ideas. Can you create this idea faster, better, or more cheaply than your competitors? Only once an idea passes these criteria should you move forward with it. Once you have completed your brainstorming and you have a vision for your small business, write it down. This will be an abbreviated business plan, which is simply a framework for your business with as much information as you currently have, rather than a full business plan. Start with a one-sentence description of your idea. What do you do and what will the effect of this product or service be? Then, write a short description of this product or service, using the information you have thus far.  Write out what you know about your business organization, such as your management structure, distribution model, and pricing plan. Determine what it might cost to develop and produce your product or prepare to provide your service. Include all potential start-up costs. Then, include what you know about the market, from competitors and market share to trends and potential customer base. The only way to know if your business plan will work is to try it. Start asking around to your colleagues and connections to form a team to make your idea happen. Begin networking with people to the industry you are trying to enter. Come up with ways to finance your business. Most importantly, continually refine your idea or product until it is good enough to take to market.
Summary:
Assess your ideas. Define all the factors and details that need to be considered. Choose the best idea. Create a business plan. Get started.