Five Ways to Hatch New Ideas for a Successful Spring Season
5 Ways to “Hatch” New Ideas for a Successful Spring Season
April is always a good time to refresh our space with some spring cleaning. It’s a time to switch some things up and lighten the load, if you will, especially as the weather starts to get a little warmer and daylight hours get longer.
Spring also brings all kinds of new life around us - flowers beginning to bloom and even new animals along the local trails.
Just like Nature breathes new life into your day, this time of year can also be a great time to “hatch” some new ideas for your small business.
Here are five key things you can do to generate new ideas to help your business grow:
Make time to find things that inspire you
Its important to take some time away from your computer and social media and maybe go for a walk and be present as you observe your surroundings. Eat at a nearby restaurant or coffee shop and people watch. Surround yourself in nature or get in your favorite workout.
Just do something that inspires you, fills your soul, and gets you out of your regular routine.
Once you’ve been able to clear your head and do something different, the low-hanging fruits on how to improve your business, typically start to reveal themselves and are actionable immediately.
Other times, the extra time and inspiring space can also allow you to be in a space to percolate “new” ideas or to “process what you’re experiencing”, in a place of patience which many times can see the stronger ideas stick and find some traction.
Pay attention to how people interact with you
Signs are everywhere. And as business owners, it’s important for us to listen and observe, then determine whether or not it’s telling us something.
For example, did your beautiful digital designs catch another person’s eye and you just got yet another request to create a logo for someone?
Or, have you been told over and over again that your desserts are so delicious they’d pay you to make the treats for their daughter’s 5th birthday?
These are signs!
And if doing these things is something that brings you joy, you may want to start considering how to monetize it.
To get started on how to integrate these signs into your business plan, make a list of all your ideas. Document anything and everything that just comes to mind. Do not attach judgment to any of the items. Just simply jot down a list, then go back over the list a week or so later and see which ideas pop out at you.
“For example, 50 ways to market my business this season…” And do not stop at idea number 5 or 10, keep going. This is where you start to activate your creativity and see what other “crazy” ideas might arise.
Collaborate with people who you feel approach things creatively
Find people that are able to spark new ideas, or who are able to look at things from a perspective different from yours.
Being able to converse with others who think or see things in a way that is different from the standard approach, starts to open up your own mind as well.
Feedback and teamwork are important because they help us with generating quality ideas. Plus, the more curious we are, the more ideas that come out as well, which increases out chances of success
Remove your ego or sense of self worth from the outcome
I always recommend that you detach yourself from what you want to achieve (which may sound counter intuitive coming from a business coach).
But here’s the thing - actually removing yourself from the outcome is where your creative mind lies, you don’t need to have a final destination or goal. This process of hatching new ideas is about being present in your current journey. It is the ability to FEEL what makes sense or what feels truly AUTHENTIC to you.
For example, Spanx was a product that a woman had created simply to feel good in the clothes she was wearing. There wasn’t any official deadline, or someone forcing her to create this extended bra undergarment. The product was simply something that the founder, Sara Blakely, wanted to create for herself. No outcome or results necessary and look how that turned out!
Accept that being creative is a learned skill
Just like effective communication, developing resilience, and time management are learned behaviors, generating creative ideas also takes time and hard work. Problem solving from a different perspective or looking at something from a completely different angle is something that can be practiced and learned.
And the ability to do it well? That isn’t something that will happen overnight.
One way to practice, “being creative” is to imagine yourself looking at things from various different perspectives - similar to when you are people watching. What does one person say to the other? What does that conversation sound like? (You are simply observing and “making” up a story of what they are talking about.)
Also, doing “improv” or signing up for an improvisation class can help us be more instinctive with our responses.
Use the tips above and just see what comes to you. You will be surprised at how much you realize is within you when it comes to “creative” ideas to make money.
I want to leave you with a quote from Chase Jarvis, CEO of CreativeLive and the author of Creative Calling, that underscores the importance of patient effort: “Don’t underestimate the power of creating something small every day, whether that’s a photograph, doing something interesting in the kitchen, or picking up that dusty guitar in the corner. Even for just a moment.”
I know there is a lot noise out there, and there is also stiff competition because it feels like many people are doing what you do.
Their approach to the business isn’t the same as yours, however, and your ability to bring new ideas to life in order to serve your clients and audience is key to helping yourself stand out.