Coming up with fresh ideas is what turns small businesses into big businesses. Sadly, it is at this point that a business becomes more uniform, less unique, and begins to slowly lose customers to its competitors. This is actually what started to happen to the Apple Company. That was until they created the iPhone and started a new mobile revolution. The Apple Company was forced to be unique and fresh, otherwise they were heading for oblivion.
Here are a few ways you may come up with fresh ideas for yourself.
1 - Get a life and live it
Have you ever heard those pretentious people who say they have traveled the world and now they feel invigorated and refreshed? Feel free to knock the watercress sandwich out of their hands and step on their suede shoes. However, you should note that people with an active life will often have fresher ideas.
You do not have to travel the world, but you cannot just sit at home or work all the time. This sort of thing happens to comedy TV writers all the time. They start their job full of ideas that they have pulled from real life situations. But, a few series into it they run out of ideas. This is because they work all the time (on tight deadlines) and do not get out there and live.
They do not see real life interesting people, or funny incidents that happen in real life. This is also why a lot of comedy shows will parody movies, because the writers are either sat at home, or watching a movie at home. If you want fresh ideas then be more active, aka, get a life!
2 - Keep your problem in your mind
There is a difference between worrying about a problem all the time, and keeping it in your mind. People who are motivated and need new ideas in order to solve a problem will keep the problem in the back of their mind all the time. They will walk around garden centers with their spouse, or watch a soccer match with their kids, and will keep the problem in their mind.
They will often see things during their day that gives them a bit of inspiration. Before they know it, their mind has connected the dots (so to speak), and they are full of new and fresh ideas to solve their problems. Keeping it in the back of your mind will allow your subconscious to have a think about it, whilst you get on with your life.
3 - Use active imagination
You should really research into this technique. Some people believe it is a way to communicate with your subconscious. Other people believe it is a way of tapping into your creativity, and others believe that it is a way of clearing your mind enough to come up with new ideas. It is probably a combination of all three.
4 - Ask your friends and co-workers
If you get really stuck then have a quick conference with your coworkers and your friends. You will probably hear no suggestions that you have not thought of yourself, but there is always a chance that one of them will come up with a great idea.
5 - Look at how others solved their problem
Have other people had your problem in the past? How did they solve their problem? Just because an idea has been used before does not mean it is not fresh to you.
6 - Research into your problem
This does not just mean do a little bit of analysis, it means look into how other people came up with fresh ideas and how they solved their problems. Read books, go to seminars and watch educational programs.
7 - Brainstorm
Sit in a dark room with a digital recorder, and just think about your problem. Record yourself speaking aloud any of your ideas, and you will soon have a recorder full of fresh ideas.
8 - Think of ways to make it worse
Ironically, if you look at a problem and come at it from the other side, you can come up with some new solutions and idea. You first think of how to make the problem you have worse. You then think of ways of hindering your methods of making it worse. The way you would stop yourself making it worse is often loaded with fresh ideas and solutions for your problem.
9 - Do market research
Ask your audience. This is one way of getting new ideas that are fresh and unique. Ask open-ended questions and probe the people you are trying to appeal to. Get their opinions and try to engage them. You may be surprised at the results you get. The added benefit is that it only takes one good idea from one person to turn things around for you.
10 - Hire a consultant
10 - Hire a consultant
Let us face it, a consultant is expensive and will drain productive hours from you and your staff. However, a consultant may sometimes bring new ideas to the table that you have not thought of (that is basically their job). They have no doubt had a lot of experience with other companies in your industry, and so have a wider view of your particular problem or concern. They are often able to come up with ideas that other people have used, but that are unique and fresh to you.
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