Ask yourself, what do you need in your home that is not on the market.

Products in the home such as the can opener, the salt & Pepper shaker, the blender, the bed, the tv, the remote control, the Clapp-on/Clapp-off way of turn lights on and off are all inventions that people came up with to fulfill a need in the home.  That does not mean that everything that is needed in the home has already been invented.  Quite the opposite.  People are coming up with new ideas for invention every day.  You probably have a few ideas of your own.  Pursue them.
 

What things kids need that is not on the market.

I saw a tv show where someone had an idea for turning a regular baby carriage into a rocking chair by putting the wheel of the baby carriage into a device that moves the chair back and forth.  He had this idea for 35 years and is just now patenting it and putting it on the market to solve a problem he saw when his kids were born and is now having with the birth of his grandchild.  Someone recently came up with a vest that you wear which has pockets to put all of the baby items (diaper, baby bottle, etc.), so that you don't have to carry around a bag with all those things in it.  Parents are in a great position to observe their kids and identify solutions to some of their problems.  Take advantage of the unique opportunity you have and pursue the idea when you think of a solution to a problem.
 

What is missing from your neighborhood.

Do you live in an area does not have a Restaurant, Car Wash, Car Repair Shop, Ice Cream Shop, Pizza Shop, Barber Shop, Beauty Saloon, Massage Parlor, Computer Repair Shop, Cyber Cafe, Coffee Shop, Laundry, Cleaners, etc.  If you live in a town that has a reasonable size population, and yet people have to travel some distance to utilize those service then think of it as a business opportunity.  People would rather shop and take care of their personal needs closer to home rather than travel some distance to take of basic necessities.  What is the ethnic makeup of your neighborhood.  Your business could be providing tailored service that satisfy their needs.
 

What items would make it better for you to complete a task that is not yet on the market

You're working on a project and you suddenly find yourself saying, "I could do this much more efficiently if I had 'X'.  Well, why don't you be the person to invent 'X' and bring it to market.  Why wait for someone else to do it.  We all share the common experience of asking where is 'X'...how come no one has invented 'X' yet.  Time to stop asking and start doing.
 

How often have you heard your friends or colleagues at work say “I wish something like 'that' existed”

If someone is telling you that they wished that something like "that" existed take it as a clue that there is a market for "that".  Chances are pretty good that there are tens of thousands or millions of people asking for the same thing.  Get a move on it before some else beat you to it.
 

Is there a better way?

Just because something is being done does not mean that there isn't an opportunity to do it again.  If you see something is being done by someone but you think that there is a better way of doing it why not give it a try.  Being first to do something is not a guarantor of success.  He who does it better will be successful.
 

TV Shows to watch:

The Shark Tank -  This is a show that airs on ABC.  The show gives entrepreneurs to make a pitch to Venture Capitalists and convince them to invest in their business. Visit the website above to find the time and dates for the airing of show.

Your Business - This is a half hour show that airs every Sunday on MSNBC at 06:30 am CST.

West Texas Investors Club - This show gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to make a pitch and get their businesses financed  by Venture Capitalists.  It airs on CNBC Tuesdays at 10:00pm ET.

CNBC Blue Collar Millionaires - This shows how ordinary Americans start their own businesses and become millionaires.  It airs on CNBC Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET.

Black Enterprise Business Report - This is a half hour show that airs every Sunday, at 09:30 CST on the TV One channel.

Restaurant Startup - This show features entrepreneurs in the food industry making a pitch and demonstrating their products and service in order to get funding from two VC investors.  It airs at 10:00pm ET on CNBC.  

Hotel Impossible - This show features Anthony Melchiorri who goes around to different hotels pretending to be a client then learns about their operations and then show the owners how to make changes and turn around their businesses.  It airs at Tuesdays aat 10:00pm ET on the Travel Channel. 

Make Me A Millionaire Inventor - This show gives inventors a second chance.  Inventors are assigned a mentor who helps them through the process of getting their ideas developed, patented, financed and brought to market.  It aires on CNBC.

The Profit - Marcus Lemonis invests hiw own money in struggling businesses and tries to help entrepreneurs make their businesses profitable.  It airs Mondays at 6:00pm and 10:00pm ET on CBNC.

Sweat, Inc. - Reality competition in which fitness entrepreneurs attempt to prove their exercise program to be the most effective, in order to win a prize of $100,000 and a feature with with Retro Fitness.  It airs on SPIKE on Tuesdays at 10:00pm ET.