| Winning small and home based businesses today must | | | | the most useful ideas. Hold a customer appreciation |
| continually shake things up to stay in the game. | | | | night and create a fun idea generating game for your |
| Whether it's adding new marketing twists on existing | | | | business.The Walt Disney Company holds its own |
| products and services or anticipating customer wants | | | | "Gong Show," three times a year, at which any |
| with compatible new items you can add to your | | | | employee can pitch a concept or movie plot. |
| product mix, hatching new ideas and concepts is vital | | | | Executives hit a giant gong if it considers an idea a |
| to a profitable company.AAA | | | | dud.Asking your customers for ideas will give you a |
| Here is what I call the "Triple A" way to plant seeds | | | | great deal of information about what your customers |
| of idea generation, innovation and creativity: Anticipate, | | | | want, you'll have fun and maybe even get a fantastic |
| Ask, and Add.Anticipate: Is there something your | | | | and profitable idea or two.Add: Customers want and |
| customers want and don't realize they need? | | | | buy value. Take the information gleaned from |
| Something compatible with your business that you can | | | | anticipating and asking and review your customers' |
| provide. Take time to study trends and new business | | | | most pressing needs and wants. In short, Add value. |
| ideas from around the world. When a product, idea or | | | | One way to add value is to brainstorm ways to save |
| strategy intrigues and inspires you, ask yourself, "How | | | | customers time and money. Make your customers |
| can this be an opportunity for me?" You can often | | | | lives simpler and easier with your existing products or |
| easily borrow and tweak ideas from other industries | | | | by adding compatible new ones.A small credit union in |
| and regions with a little thought and successfully apply | | | | Kentucky added value when it realized customers |
| them to your own micro small or home business. Doing | | | | were annoyed by long lines. With no space for |
| this on a regular basis will keep you light years ahead | | | | additional tellers, it mailed members suggestions on |
| of your competitors.Are you passionate about a | | | | how to avoid long waits. In addition, taking a page from |
| particular cause? Consider the following.A Dutch | | | | the Disney playbook where waiting in long lines is |
| designer created a unique fashion label, called 50/50 | | | | made as enjoyable as possible, this creative credit |
| with cast offs from Salvation Army thrift stores. | | | | union installed TVs near lines to make customers feel |
| Profits are shared equally between the company and | | | | that they were using their time productively. Result: |
| the Salvation Army. The label is now sold in Holland's | | | | Complaints practically disappeared and countless |
| most popular department store and doing well. Social | | | | members did not take their business elsewhere. |
| Entrepreneurship is a fast emerging trend where | | | | (Richard Hamilton has written a inspiring series of |
| companies appeal to the social consciences of | | | | books called Disney Magic on the Disney business |
| consumers by conducting their businesses in accord | | | | model and how you can apply it's strategies and ideas |
| with certain standards (i.e Sweatshop Free, | | | | to your own micro small or home business).Consider |
| Environmentally Safe, etc.) or by partnering with a | | | | consumers' need for simplicity, order and more quality |
| charity such as 50/50 has done.Attorney Alayna | | | | time - a trend that gets stronger by the day in a fast |
| Kassan and her partner, Cynthia W. Dressel met in | | | | paced world where multitasking is does not even begin |
| 1999, after each had successfully fought Hodgkins | | | | to solve the time crunch.Take a look at how this cool |
| Disease, a form of Lymphoma Cancer. Anxious to | | | | 'Lifestyle Management' company from the UK has |
| give back to the community that helped them in their | | | | used the simplicity trend to add value to traditional |
| time of need, they launched Presents for Purpose ( | | | | domestic services. Urban Angels helps customers |
| offers creative, unique and unusual gift items with a | | | | juggle the 9-5 with home and family commitments, |
| portion of the proceeds going to a the partner charity | | | | bringing balance back to their lives efficiently and |
| of the purchaser's choice.Is there a way to tie your | | | | affordably. US based Real Simple Magazine profits |
| products to your favorite cause, do some good and | | | | from this trend by adding value to its 1.5 million affluent |
| make some money at the same time?Anticipate | | | | readers (median age 40, median household income |
| worldwide, national, and regional trends.Capitalizing on a | | | | $90,000) with tips and tricks on which products to buy |
| regional trend 17 years ago with one of it's own | | | | to make their busy lives easier.By Anticipating |
| products, Tyson Foods, the Arkansas-based poultry | | | | customer wants and needs through keen observation |
| giant, noticed it was selling more chicken wings in | | | | and study of consumer trends and new business |
| Buffalo, NY than anywhere else in the country. Sports | | | | ideas, Asking your customers for feedback and ideas, |
| bars were buying them as an inexpensive appetizer. In | | | | you can gain plenty of creative inspiration to generate |
| a brilliant move, Tyson borrowed the idea of "Buffalo | | | | moneymaking ideas to boost your profits. Finally, use |
| Wings" and rolled out a nationwide promotion, creating | | | | your new ideas to Add value for your |
| a huge market for a previously unmarketable product.If | | | | customers.Make generating ideas a regular |
| you are selling multiple products or have more than | | | | practiceMicro small and home business owners |
| one service, you know which ones sell the best, but | | | | continually mention lack of time as a major barrier to |
| what do you know about what your customers are | | | | idea generation, creativity and innovation, yet your |
| buying? Is there a product or service that may not be | | | | business cannot afford to be without a steady stream |
| a top seller, but is selling well to one particular group (i.e. | | | | of new ideas. Here are a few simple suggestions to |
| Seniors,Baby Boomers, GenX, Women over or under | | | | make idea generation a part of your regular routine |
| a certain age, men, etc.) or in a specific region? Is there | | | | without taking a lot of time.Set idea goals: One highly |
| a niche you may be missing? Like Tyson, become a | | | | successful micro business I know sets a goal of |
| trend spotter with your own customer base. Analyze | | | | coming up with 5 new ideas that might help his |
| all of your products or services in light of your | | | | business every week no matter how offbeat they |
| customer's profiles and look for trends and common | | | | may seem at the time. Every 2 weeks or so, he |
| traits. You may find a new way of marketing a lesser | | | | reviews the ideas and brainstorms - developing the |
| performing product or service. If you don't know who | | | | best ideas into concrete action.Keep an Idea Journal: |
| is buying your products or services, you can easily | | | | Create an idea journal and keep it handy at all times. |
| invite your customers to give you some basic | | | | Whenever you hear, read or see something that |
| information on order forms, etc.Ask: Ask for | | | | intrigues you, write it down immediately in your idea |
| information, such as surveys to get customer | | | | journal. Reserve an hour once a week, once a month |
| feedback. Surveys are inexpensive and can be done | | | | or whatever time period works best for you to review |
| by post card, phone or email. Why do your customers | | | | your journal and brainstorm. Develop the best ideas |
| select you over competitors? It is not always obvious. | | | | into action plans.Mind Map your Best Ideas: Mind |
| What concerns do they have about your products or | | | | mapping is a graphical brainstorming technique based |
| services? Armed with this information you can adjust | | | | on the science of what is known about how we think |
| your marketing appropriately.Merry Maids, the well | | | | and is an excellent and relatively quick method for |
| known house cleaning franchise initially focused it's | | | | developing new ideas. Mind Mapping can either be |
| marketing on how well it cleaned homes. When they | | | | done by hand or with various software programs on |
| discovered customers were more concerned about | | | | the market. Simply search the term "mind mapping" |
| letting strangers into their homes, Merry Maids | | | | and you will find plenty of resources.M. Brooks, is a |
| tightened its hiring practices and changed its advertising | | | | small and home business idea and strategic marketing |
| to tout peace of mind as well as a clean home. | | | | consultant, and the founder of The Small Biz Games, ( |
| Revenues increased 32% from 1998 to 2003.Ask your | | | | a free awards recognition program with cash awards, |
| customers for ideas that can help improve your | | | | Olympic style medals and positive public exposure for |
| products or services.BMW's Virtual Innovation Agency | | | | micro small business owners and home business |
| (VIA) canvasses people worldwide for suggestions. It | | | | owners. The Small Biz Games also runs a separate |
| received 4,000 ideas in the first week. Go to BMW ( | | | | business plan, self published business book, and |
| click on innovation (under the "BMW Group" menu), to | | | | business ebook contests. Brooks is co-author of |
| make your own contribution to BMW's idea bank.Like | | | | Beyond the Box - 25 entrepreneurs making it big by |
| BMW, consider adding a customer idea bank to your | | | | thinking "beyond" outside the box" (Due out September, |
| website and offer a prize for the best ideas that you | | | | 2005). |
| end up using or create a secret club for those offering | | | | |