When I started Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc. more than 17 years ago, it was for the purpose of publishing information for small business owners. My company’s mission statement: “Make entrepreneurs smarter.”
Today, I realize that I’ve been the beneficiary of good ideas. Working to share ideas has propelled me to continually learn ideas. Here’s how.
Social media
Ideas used to be shared largely through print, radio, and television. Today, social media has facilitated the spread of ideas rapidly and inexpensively. I pick up new ideas every day. What I can learn here is limited only by the amount of time I have for this activity.
Many of the ideas I learn are then shared through my Idea of the Day®, tweets, or other social media postings.
Books
While many great ideas come through social media today, books in print (and by this I include e-books) continue to supply many new ideas for me. For example, Think Bigger and 39 Other Winning Strategies from Successful Entrepreneurs by Michael W. Sonnenfeldt (who founded Tiger 21) explores the challenges for entrepreneurs after they sell their businesses when it comes to investing their money. The idea I learned here, which applies to all business owners who invest outside of their businesses, is to not apply entrepreneurial traits (continually doing something, being emotionally invested, and trying to make things happen); these traits are an anathema to successful investing.
Other small business owners
Talking directly with other business owners, through networking events, while waiting in lines at the bank or post office, or in just about any other venue, also is a source of new ideas. September is National Preparedness Month, and believe me it’s important to take note. Being based in hurricane central, getting ready for a storm such as Hurricane Irma is essential to preserve business property and ensure business continuation.
Here’s one idea I learned from one of my radio guests, who went through Hurricane Katrina. He rebuilt his business after the storm but learned preparedness practices. When there’s a new storm warning, he shrink wraps his business equipment to make it waterproof. I adopted this simple idea to keep my equipment and irreplaceable papers safe. (Important business information is on the computer, through scanning or data entry, and backed up.)
Please share your ideas with me
If you have a great idea, please tell me and I’ll help to share it. I can attribute the idea to you. Email it to barbara @ barbaraweltman [dot] com.
