Home
>
Small Business
>
Is This The Way Its Always Been Done?

Is This The Way Its Always Been Done?

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.

Throw in a few sandwiches and coffee to kill two birds with one stone, by doing it at lunch-time. This is absolutely ideal for this purpose. Even introduce 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.

If you are not sure how to go about brainstorming, as it is sometimes called, then there are plenty of useful sites on the Internet. I prefer to look at it, more as creative thinking, than a task.

Some ideas to help generate creative thoughts are:

1. Wishful Thinking Technique

By dreaming of your ideal situation or solution, you can often come up with something, which can have a similar effect, but in a more practical, and realistic way.

2. Random Word Technique

This is the most basic and creative technique, where you use a random word to generate new ideas. By taking a random word and forcing yourself to use it to solve your problem, you are practically guaranteed to attack the problem from a different direction to normal.

3. False Rules Technique

You take a rule, quote, idea or suggestion from somewhere else, and apply it to your own situation. It is known as a "false rule" because the rule has not been considered as valid before. By getting a false rule and forcing yourself to use it, you find yourself thinking about doing things in a different way than you would normally.

4. Analogy Technique

You use an analogy, or metaphor, of your own situation to find out how similar situations are solved in other fields. Analogies are very good for discovering things you had not realized about your own situation and thus enable you to develop solutions based upon them.

5. Role Play Technique

The best way of changing the way you see the world, is to see it from someone else's point of view. This technique allows you to change your perspective by getting you to be a different person and see how they would approach the problem There are several other techniques that can also be used to stimulate the group for ideas.

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

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

Bill Ritchie helps with developing home based businesses, startups, providing business ideas, giving tips on Internet marketing, plus writes the occasional article. He also runs a useful, informative website.

You're welcome to reprint this article online, as long as it remains complete and unaltered, including the "About the Author" info at the end.

cleaning team near Winnetka ..

In The News:

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Is This The Way Its Always Been Done?

Small Business