Using The Power Of Creativity To Grow Your Business
July 19, 2007 · Print This Article
Creative thinking is a vital part of what every business owner does on a daily basis. Whether you are forming a new marketing strategy or developing a new product line, your creativity plays a huge role in the entire process.
Often times, your creative talents can lay dormant, only revealing themselves when you are working on something big. However, you can learn to tap into your creative inspiration more frequently and use it to help grow your business.
There are lots of ways to do this… Below are five great ways to get your creative juices flowing:
1. Research & Study Other Creative Businesses
When you read stories of how someone started a business in their basement that grew into a multi-million dollar enterprise, you can’t help but feel fascinated and inspired by it.
Spend more time reading success stories and studying other businesses. 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 copy other business models, but rather use them as a source of inspiration for your own business ideas.
2. Revisit Old Procedures Now & Then
Forget the old saying that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, there is always room for improvement… 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. Should you be outsourcing certain jobs instead of doing them yourself? Are you wasting too much time on administrative tasks? Is it time to hire a manager to oversee daily operations so you can free up your time for more creative pursuits?
3. Get Other People’s Perspective
Ask your colleagues, your family members or your employees, what their thoughts are on your business and how it can be improved. 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, procedures and products. Not only will you be surprised at all of the great ideas that you receive, but you will also make your associates feel good by seeking their advice.
4. Think Outside The Box
As played out as that phrase has become, it still holds a great deal of wisdom in it. By opening your mind and allowing the flow of creative ideas to pour in, you are making your business venture much more effective, enjoyable and unique.
You don’t always have to follow the traditional route in your business activities, try switching it up and seeing if something can be done a different 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 yourself up to other possibilities, the more ideas you will trigger.
5. Take Time Out For Daydreams
You may think that doing “nothing” is a big waste of time and productivity, but time and time again it has been proven to be a very lucrative activity indeed!
Your best ideas will always come to you when you are relaxed… This is because your mind is more receptive when you are calm.
Also this will help you connect more easily to your true authentic self, from which all creativity energy flows. You should make it a habit to set out 30 minutes a day to just relax and daydream.
Let your thoughts dance around randomly, or think about a specific aspect of your business that you want to get insight about. But 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! I find my best ideas come to me when I am in bed and relaxed so I keep a notepad with a pen on my nightstand.
What do you do to help your creative energy flow?
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