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