Month: July 2018

Many entrepreneurs find success due to their extremely creative ideas and unique ways to meet needs, provide services or introduce a new product. In fact, your creativity may play a significant role in maintaining your edge and keeping your company moving forward. For this reason, it can be both frustrating and a little frightening to find yourself in a place where you are in a creative slump. This happens, even for the most innovative minds, but there are ways you can boost your creative thinking once again.

One of the simplest ways to restart your creative thinking is to revisit old ideas. Not every idea will work out, but that does not mean there isn’t a useful place for it in the future. If you have a journal or notebook as a way to jot down your ideas and thoughts, go back through it from time to time and mull over possibilities that you may have overlooked. Old ideas don’t necessarily mean bad ideas — with some new perspective and fresh thinking, an old idea can be a great way to jumpstart an exciting new phase for your business.

Another way you can jumpstart your creativity is to discuss your current plans and ideas with others. For many creative minds, simply talking through things and listening to someone else is enough to spark an idea that will set the ball rolling again. In some cases, it may be necessary to get away to find your creative edge again. Take a vacation, read a new book, try something new — you never know when inspiration will strike.

You can’t guess or assume you know what it will be that will reignite your thinking and jumpstart your creativity again. When you find yourself in a period where you don’t feel inspired, motivated or excited about what is ahead, keep working until your creative thinking is going again. Your unique perspective and exciting ideas are what set your company apart, and there are more positive things to come!

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Every entrepreneur will make a mistake at some point. Missteps and errors are simply a part of life, and in the business world, learning from these mistakes could either make or break you. In some cases, you could be making a serious mistake and not even know you are committing errors that could irreparably impact your company. Perceptive business owners strive to grow continually, which could mean taking stock of your entire operations and finding out if you are committing any of the most common business mistakes.

Potential problems and errors come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the most serious errors may seem relatively minor, or you may find that you have allowed yourself to slide into complacency, which is a problem in itself as well as a source of a multitude of potential problems. It’s beneficial to evaluate yourself and your company, eliminating any problems that could harm your business. Common business mistakes include the following:

• Partnering with the wrong people, suppliers or employees
• Losing sight of your original objective and the reason you started your company
• Refusing to delegate and allow your employees to grow and succeed
• Falling out of the habit of personal development and self-improvement
• Quitting before you have a chance to evolve, grow and move forward

If you or your business makes a mistake, it is not the end of the world. Mistakes do not have to define you or determine your success in business, but your reaction to the mistake could. The most successful entrepreneurs do not shy away from missteps — they identify them, learn from them and find ways to avoid the same ones in the future. Even the most simple and common business mistakes can derail a company, but you can take steps to ensure that no preventable problem, big or small, will stand between you and your goals.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Customer feedback and criticism is one of the most effective ways to identify the areas you need to improve. When running a business, it’s easy to develop tunnel vision. No matter how focused you are, it’s beneficial to occasionally take the time to stop, listen to customers and make improvements.

Criticism and negative feedback happens, no matter what level of success you reach or how streamlined your operations may be. By taking your customers seriously and using the feedback you receive as a way to grow and improve, you’ll earn the respect and loyalty of your previous customers. In order to build a customer-centered business dedicated to satisfaction and service, you must give credence to the issues that your clients bring up. Criticism is not an affront to you or a slight on your business — it’s a chance to listen and improve.

One way for you to get feedback you can use for the benefit of your company is to ask for it. Some business owners are hesitant to ask for input, believing it will open the door for criticism and unnecessary complaints, but in reality, it’s an invaluable resource and learning opportunity. People want to be heard, and by asking for their opinions and critiques, you are essentially telling your customers their voices are heard and their patronage is valued.

It’s never a fun experience to hear criticism. Of course, there are times when criticism is unwarranted, but often, at the root of a complaint or negative feedback is an issue that needs to be addressed. It might sting, but don’t take it personally — take that complaint, identify the root issue and then strive to implement the changes necessary to improve your customer experience. When you listen well to all forms and types of feedback, you can start important conversations with your customers.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC