This article describes mind mapping and its advantages and disadvantages
Yes, finally! You decided to become a SaaS entrepreneur.
Your head is full of ideas. Now you want to write them down. For yourself, your bank (you need money!), for your website (marketing!!). You stare at an empty paper. You can’t write anything down. Just words, no sentences, no story, no plan…
Now what? Did you know I was in a similar situation when I started my business as a SaaS software tester and content marketer.
But then I remembered something from my high school years. I was not an ace remembering big chunks of texts. My former biology teacher told me I should try mind mapping. This way I would remember the text better, and more importantly, distinguish the essentials from the details.
What is a mind map?
Wikipedia defines a mind map as a diagram used to visually organise information. A mind map is hierarchical and shows relationships among pieces of the whole.
Develop a mind map
Remember your empty sheet. Write down your central theme, eg. the name of your company, in the middle of the sheet and encircle it as a balloon. Now place around this central theme the connected sub-themes: finance, marketing, sales etc. Also encircle these subthemes. Connect the central theme with the sub-themes by drawing branches. Doing this, a diagram is generated and a visualization of your SaaS company is seen on paper.
A very creative way to put your thoughts on paper. As I said earlier, I had trouble remembering large chunks of text. By mind mapping I could visualise this text and remember it. But it is also a great way to put your thoughts on paper, giving it more structure, and also be creative.
Let your thoughts flow, there are no boundaries, except the boundaries of your sheet of paper.
Advantages of a mind map
For a starting SaaS entrepreneur mind mapping has many advantages.
You will see in a glance the connections between the central theme and its many sub-themes. Because you will see it as a whole, the text comes to life making it easier for your brains to process.
Turning the text into a mind map makes it more easier for you to remember it. Associations are made between themes, which improves remembering it. Very handy when deciphering the tax rules.
By visualizing you are more alert, improving the creativity process. Especially beneficial when making your business plan and your thoughts are going all the way.
Mind mapping saves time! By mind mapping you are summarizing your thoughts, which is beneficial when writing a plan or pitch.
With mind mapping you will discover more associations. This encourages you to go on, thinking out-of-the-box. Maybe you will invent a new online sales technique?
This is just a brief list of mind mapping advantages. There are many more….
Mind mapping, are there also disadvantages?
Mind mapping is a creative process. It takes time to master it. But when succeeded, it will save you a lot of time.
Mind you, a mind map is a ‘visual summary’ of YOUR thoughts. Another person has other thoughts and therefore another mind map.
When working in a team always compare the mind maps. Let’s be creative together.
Conclusion
Mind mapping can help you start up your company. It takes time to master it, but by creative ordening your thoughts on paper, it will also save you a lot of time. At a glance you will see associations between themes and it wil help you remember important things more.
You can share your mind map with other people. Take in mind, it is a visualisation of your thoughts, which are very personal. Therefore mind maps of other people are different, although they address the same subject.
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Try mind mapping, you won’t regret it.
And let me know your findings.