Let’s face it, we all tend to get stuck in doing things ‘the way they’ve always been done’, and creating products, or services, in a similarly conservative mode. But there is another way. Why not take a new look at your business. Take the opportunity to have regular creative thinking sessions in order to break the mould. Just one session could start off a new trend.

The best way to do this is to organise a group of your own people, friends, customers, and anyone else you think can contribute, to sit round a table with you, for an hour, and literally set out to think creatively on the problem of the day. Throwing in a few sandwiches and coffee to kill two birds with one stone by doing it at lunch-time is absolutely ideal for this purpose. Even have a little competition to encourage people to take part.

The first and most important decision you have to make, is to define the problem you want to solve, clearly and briefly. Thus, for example, you may be looking for a new service or product, which you can launch from the same premises, with the same basic overhead that your current operation already has. Or, you may be looking to name a new product line. Whatever it is, make sure you can define the problem simply and clearly before starting.

Having presented the problem to your ad hoc group, you ask them to come up with as many ideas as possible, including seemingly crazy ideas. Make sure that no criticism of any idea is allowed and that everyone understands you want as many ideas as possible.

Finally, get the ideas written up after the meeting, and circulated to everyone who participated, asking them first whether they have any further ideas, which have come to mind since the meeting. Secondly, whether any of the enclosed ideas could be combined together to make another idea.

You will be astonished how many good ideas come out of such meetings and how many problems can be solved using this simple but very effective technique.

Some ideas are:

1. Wishful Thinking Technique
2. Random Word Technique
3. False Rules Technique
4. Analogy Technique
5. Role Play Technique

There are several other techniques that can also be used to stimulate the group for ideas. If you want to know more about these techniques, you can find out more here:
http://www.thehomebusinessprofessor.com/creativethinking.html

Why not try out some of these ideas, and drive your business forward in a different direction, or at least have another arrow to your bow.

Does it always have to be the same way as it has always been?