As a business owner, creative thinking is a vital part of what you do on a daily basis. Whether you’re developing new product lines or forming a marketing strategy, your creativity plays a large role in the process.
Very often, your creative side is largely dormant, only peeking out when you’re working on something big. However, you can learn to actively tap your creative inspiration more frequently and use it to benefit your business.
There are many ways to do this, but here are a few to get your creative juices flowing:
Study other creative businesses. If you’ve ever read about a company that started in a man’s basement and grew to a multi-million dollar enterprise, you were likely fascinated and inspired by the story. Spend more time reading stories like this, or simply study other companies on your own.
Observe a small start-up company and see where it goes. Check out their marketing campaigns and product lines. What are they doing that you’re not? What are you doing that they’re not? Don’t try to copy other business models, but rather use them as a source of inspiration for your own ideas.
Revisit procedures now and then. Just because a certain procedure or protocol worked best for your company at one time doesn’t mean it still does. Get into the habit of reviewing your business procedures and see if you can improve upon them. Are you wasting too much time on administrative tasks? Should you be outsourcing certain jobs instead of doing them yourself? Is it time to hire a manager to oversee daily operations so you can free up your time for more creative pursuits?
Get other perspectives. Ask your employees, family members, or colleagues for their thoughts on your business. You can do this for both operational procedures as well as the business itself. Ask them for their opinions on how you might improve your business direction, products, or procedures. You might be surprised by the great ideas you receive, while making your associates feel good that you sought their input.
Think outside the box. As trite as that phrase has become, it holds a true gem of wisdom. By opening your mind to allow in creative ideas, you can make any business venture much more effective, enjoyable, or unique. Rather than following a traditional or normal route in your business activities, consider whether something might be done better in another way.
See if you can expand upon your business ideas, your products, the level of services you offer, or any other aspect of your business. The more you focus on opening to other possibilities, the more ideas you will trigger.
Make room for daydreams. You might think that doing “nothing” is a waste of time and productivity, but time and time again it has been proven to be a lucrative activity indeed! Don’t your best ideas come to you when you’re relaxed? That’s because your mind is naturally more receptive when you’re calm.
In addition, this enables you to more easily connect with your authentic self, from which all creativity flows. Make it a habit to set aside a few hours a week to daydream. Let your thoughts roam randomly, or think about a specific aspect of your business that you want to get insight about.
Don’t try to puzzle out a solution, just let your mind drift. Keep a notepad handy and jot down those ideas as they fly into your conscious awareness!
Very often, your creative side is largely dormant, only peeking out when you’re working on something big. However, you can learn to actively tap your creative inspiration more frequently and use it to benefit your business.
There are many ways to do this, but here are a few to get your creative juices flowing:
Study other creative businesses. If you’ve ever read about a company that started in a man’s basement and grew to a multi-million dollar enterprise, you were likely fascinated and inspired by the story. Spend more time reading stories like this, or simply study other companies on your own.
Observe a small start-up company and see where it goes. Check out their marketing campaigns and product lines. What are they doing that you’re not? What are you doing that they’re not? Don’t try to copy other business models, but rather use them as a source of inspiration for your own ideas.
Revisit procedures now and then. Just because a certain procedure or protocol worked best for your company at one time doesn’t mean it still does. Get into the habit of reviewing your business procedures and see if you can improve upon them. Are you wasting too much time on administrative tasks? Should you be outsourcing certain jobs instead of doing them yourself? Is it time to hire a manager to oversee daily operations so you can free up your time for more creative pursuits?
Get other perspectives. Ask your employees, family members, or colleagues for their thoughts on your business. You can do this for both operational procedures as well as the business itself. Ask them for their opinions on how you might improve your business direction, products, or procedures. You might be surprised by the great ideas you receive, while making your associates feel good that you sought their input.
Think outside the box. As trite as that phrase has become, it holds a true gem of wisdom. By opening your mind to allow in creative ideas, you can make any business venture much more effective, enjoyable, or unique. Rather than following a traditional or normal route in your business activities, consider whether something might be done better in another way.
See if you can expand upon your business ideas, your products, the level of services you offer, or any other aspect of your business. The more you focus on opening to other possibilities, the more ideas you will trigger.
Make room for daydreams. You might think that doing “nothing” is a waste of time and productivity, but time and time again it has been proven to be a lucrative activity indeed! Don’t your best ideas come to you when you’re relaxed? That’s because your mind is naturally more receptive when you’re calm.
In addition, this enables you to more easily connect with your authentic self, from which all creativity flows. Make it a habit to set aside a few hours a week to daydream. Let your thoughts roam randomly, or think about a specific aspect of your business that you want to get insight about.
Don’t try to puzzle out a solution, just let your mind drift. Keep a notepad handy and jot down those ideas as they fly into your conscious awareness!
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