Business and Marketing Tips

Imagination and creativity are two vital components that drive the entrepreneurial spirit. However, as the years wear on, the stress and pressure of keeping a small business afloat can take a toll on the small business owner, and as a result other employees.

To ensure that you and your employees feel encouraged, refreshed and excited about the work you do, here are ten simple ways that you can use the power of creativity to inspire and motivate your crew.

1. Solve a Problem

Just about everyone can think of at least one nagging problem that gets in the way of workflow processes. As a team, brainstorm ideas for solving the problem and implement them one by one until you find something that works. This kind of problem-solving process can be excellent for creativity.

2. Discover Hidden Talents

Does your bookkeeper have untapped talents in design? Ask for her input on the next flyer or store display. Does your IT expert understand what it takes to start an e-commerce website? Let him weigh in on the project. None of your employees are one-trick ponies, so encourage them to participate in the tasks they truly enjoy.

3. Go to the Theater Together

Seeing a movie will work, but bonus points if your employees catch a local dance production or play. Nothing fuels creativity like being fully immersed in it.

4. Take Your Work Outdoors

When the weather’s nice you can take your meetings outdoors. Fresh air and sunshine can improve your mood and get people thinking outside the cubicle.

5. Act Like Children

Video games, board games, finger painting. All of these things help creative people get “unstuck,” but these methods aren’t just for advertisers and graphic designers.  A little fun can free you from your workday doldrums.

6. Encourage Disagreement

Of course, there are positive ways and negative ways to go about this, but the goal is to make sure that your employees feel comfortable expressing their opinions and ideas. Encourage everyone to offer constructive critique and then listen objectively when critiques are coming their way.

7. Envision the Future

On your own, or with your team, start thinking about what the business will look like in 10, 15 or 20 years. How will it grow? How will it be better? You never know what you might be able to achieve if you just let yourself dream it first.

8. Reward Creativity

When an employee dares to solve a problem creatively, praise them for it. The more ideas you have to choose from, the better your chances of finding solutions.

9. Make Physical Space for Creativity

Set aside a meeting or conference space that makes it easy to be creative and use it regularly. Transform break rooms in to happy spaces, too.

10. Turn Chores into Games

There’s something to what Mary Poppins had to say: “In every job there is an element of fun.” Find ways to make the mundane tasks more fun for your staff. For example, turn cleanup in an Office Olympics competition with prizes or perks.

By doing any of these things, you can set your business up to be a place that embraces individual talents, rewards growth, and fosters ongoing creativity. However, if you truly want stretch yourself, try taking on three creative challenges in the next year and monitor how business and morale grows.

See more great articles by Alyssa Gregory and read the entire article on About Money.

Make An Impression.
Sabrina Espinal
Sabrina&Company

Curated article from my totally awesome and creative friend, Alyssa Gregory, founder of Small Business Bonfire and Small Business Information Expert.

This is the time of the year that I love to relax, reflect over the year, and write down my accomplishments and life events…just for me to see.

This reflection helps me see how I did with my soul-centered goals and see what unexpected gifts life shared with me throughout the year.

THIS IS EASY TO DO:

One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply grab a piece of paper and go through your life from January through December on any of your social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and/or your Blog Posts. Then write down the things that mean the most to you.

Step by Step:

1. Go through your photos
2. Go through your social media network’s photos
3. Go through your planner calendar
4. Remember to add training classes, life-changing events, etc.
5. Go through everything that contains your life

How was your year? I bet it was pretty spectacular!

Next spend time with your favorite heart-centered tools like The Desire Map, your favorite planner, or whatever you use and start your own soul-centered practice.

Now, update your credentials on your website, resume, professional sites; whatever works best for you.

I hope sparks a lot of great ideas of what you want to keep doing and what you want to add to your life and business for the new year.

Make An Impression.

Sabrina Espinal
Sabrina&Company Marketing

This is the time of the year that I love to relax, reflect over the year, and write down my accomplishments and life events. This reflection helps me see how I did with my soul-centered goals and see what unexpected gifts life shared with me throughout the year.

Get Started:

One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply grab a piece of paper and go through your life from January through December:

1. Go through your photos.
2. Go through your calendar.
3. Go through your social media images and/or posts.
4. Remember to add training classes and/or life changes.
5. Go through everything that contains your life.

Don’t worry if you think you’re missing something. Events will begin to pop in your head once you start the process write down everything.

Update Your Bio, Resume and LinkedIn:

This process is going to give you a good overview of what happened to you during the year. If you still use a resume, this is a fantastic time to take a few minutes to update your resume and to get a head start on writing your year in work accomplishments. Next, take a look at your Bio on LinkedIn, your website, or wherever it might be and freshen up with your latest accomplishments.

How do you feel?

I also look at my Core Desired Feelings (The Desire Map) and check-in with how I’m feeling. I think you would agree that feeling good is everything. My core desired feelings are Grace, Peace, Joy, Laughter, and Creativity. If you want to know how to identify your core desired feelings, pick up The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte, and join me at my Desire Map Workshops 2015.  “Knowing how you want to feel is the most potent clarity you can have. Generating those feelings is the most powerful thing you can do with your life” – Danielle LaPorte.

Now, sit back and take in your year and get ready for 2015!

Make An Impression.

Sabrina Espinal
Sabrina&Company