Business Parking Lot List: What it is and Why You Need One

Most small business owners are really good at generating ideas… you get an idea in the shower, driving your car, folding laundry… sometimes these are brand new ideas (a new product, a new biz service, a new biz entirely)… sometimes these are optimizing current products + services. But it’s no surprise to see that business owners are creative. And I truly believe being able to come up with that many ideas is a good thing! But sometimes, those ideas can feel overwhelming. TOO many ideas can mean no TRACTION. No one wants that! That’s why I LOVE creating what I call a “Parking Lot List” for my ideas!!

What’s a Parking Lot List?!

Just what it sounds like: a list. A Parking Lot list allows you dump all your ideas in ONE central location and then circle back to it at the most strategic time! This means you never forget that amazing idea for a new business product you came up with while making dinner that one night – but it also means you don’t burn yourself out trying to do everything at once. It’s a dumping ground, literally, for all of those amazing inspired ideas you come up with.

Surprise, surprise: I keep my Parking Lot list on a Trello board! This makes it super handy when I have the time to plan for the quarter. I can focus on what’s really manageable and possible off that list! Keeping my list on Trello also means it’s really easy to add to whenever an idea pops into my head. But you could definitely use anything you want to manage your list – a Google doc, a note app, a Slack channel.

tips to create a business parking lot list

Why use a list?

Getting the ideas out of my head and onto something that won’t get lost on my desk a year from now is SO helpful! When it gets out of my head and onto my parking lot list, I’ve now freed up that space in my brain to work on whatever else is the focus currently. Additionally, by creating a master list of all of our (genius) ideas, we can better plan and approach them strategically instead of impulsively. And finally, having a master list allows you to review everything you’re doing and decide what’s most important to work on when!

Parking Lot Lists are a really easy way to make sure you never forget those ideas you’ve got around your brain without stressing yourself out about how to make them all happen right now (or not forget them… mama brain is real!). I can’t wait to hear what’s on your business Parking Lot list! PS. If you need more help bringing that Trello board to life, check out some of my favorite hacks here!