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Creative Questions To Help Move Your Business Past a Tight Budget

It doesn't matter who you are, every entrepreneur has the same obstacle to overcome in the beginning.

The obstacle for many people is getting their business marketed on a tight budget. Being creative can help you get through on a tight budget and by answering some of these creative questions you can learn how to do it.

Questions like:

1) How can I

Another creative question starter:

2) Who could help me with I love that one. Who could help me with

How about:

3) Who might exchange for ?

Or this one:

4) How can I do this cheaper? or How could I do this faster? or How could I do this with less effort? or How could I do this without paying? That's a great creative question.

Try and answer this question:

5) What can I substitute for 'X'? Could I substitute 'XYZ' for 'ABC'? Just think about whatever you could, or want to change.

This next one is a great one because it puts you in the shoes of other people, someone who is thinks completely different than you.

6) How would solve this problem?

Here is an example: How would my wife solve this problem? How would my mentor, child, neighbor solve this problem? By asking yourself this question you really have to look at things from a different perspective.

I can confidently say that these questions, as well as others, have allowed my creativity to grow and have opened all kinds of opportunities up to me. The success of my career can be credited to my creative thinking.

Here is an example of how I used this creative questioning to overcome an obstacle early on in my career.

Right out of University I decided to become a professional speaker, speaking to high school and college students - which I still do on occasion - speaking on the topic of creativity because that topic helped me go from a University failure all the way to the top of my class, straight A's, and named Most Outstanding Male of my graduating class. There was a big difference between what happened first year and my last year, and I attribute it all to learning the skill on the art of creative thinking, and I was very passionate about it.

Even though I had decided that this is what I wanted to do, I had no idea about becoming a professional speaker, or if I could turn it into a profitable business.

The first thing I did was join the local chapter of CAPS, The Canadian Association for Professional Speakers.

I remember going to one of the local chapter meetings and there was one guy there that was doing very well in his speaking career and I asked him, "What do I need to do to get to your level?" And he said, "Well Stu, it's very simple. I'm going to give you three things to do. When you've done all three, then come back to me and I'll give you some more." I said, "Okay."

"Number one," he began, "You should join CAPS. By surrounding yourself with like minded people in your industry it will help your business grow."

So I shelled out the $200 to join the CAPS organization. It was a squeeze for me. In fact, I specifically remember asking if I could put it on payments, which I did. I joined the CAPS organization.

The second thing he said I had to do was, "Get out to the CAPS National Conference." As much as I wanted to go, it was on the other side of Canada, which meant more costs on top of the relatively expensive conference fee. At this point everything was expensive for me as I had no money. To get there I would have to pay for my flight, accommodations and everything else.

This is where I started asking myself some creative questions. I needed to find a solution. I started thinking about what I had, or could do, that someone else might want and need.

At this point I wasn't speaking very often because I had just started my speaking business. This allowed me to have time. Time to be able to do other things for someone else.

Then I started to say, "Okay, how could I use my time to benefit somebody else?" From that question I came up with a campaign, and I called it Help Stu Be Like You.

This is how I used that creative idea to my advantage. I went to the largest chapter of CAPS in my province, which consisted of about 75 people and asked for 30 seconds in front of the whole group.

This was something new to them, no one had asked for that before. I got up in front of everyone and asked them, "When you started off as a speaker, how many of you had no experience?" With no surprise, everybody's hands went up in the air.

"Awesome," I said. "Keep your hand up if you have ever attended the CAPS national conference before." Seventy-five percent of the group kept their hands up.

I said, "Of those who still have their hands in the air, how many of you feel that it would be beneficial for somebody with zero experience to get out to that CAPS national conference?" They all had their hands in the air.

My reply was, "Great. Well I am somebody that obviously needs to go to the CAPS national conference because I have zero experience."

But then I gave them my situation. I said, "I have a problem though. I don't have any money. The one thing I do have though is time. That is why I have created a campaign called, 'Help Stu Be Like You.' Basically I am willing to make an exchange and I'm hoping you will too." I passed out 8x6 black and white flyers I had printed off at home on 8-1/2x11 sheets to save costs. I made sure everyone in the audience got one.

I said, "Here's what I'm willing to do. I'm willing to do all the dirty work that you speakers don't like doing or don't have time to do. I will make sales calls for you. I will write sales letters for you. I will lick stamps for you. I will cut your grass. I'll even wipe your baby's bottom, if that's what you want me to do, for a financial contribution of your choice."

I could see some of them in the audience were just licking their chops thinking, "Oh my goodness. This is awesome. I'm going to get cheap labor."

I finished up by saying, "Whatever you don't like doing I will do, in exchange for an financial contribution of your choice. Everything I make from this campaign will go directly towards getting me out to the CAPS national conference."

As soon as I finished explaining it, a gentleman at the back of the room stood up, and he said, "Stu, I will pay for your entrance fee to the seminar." Boom. Just like that. Half of my costs basically taken care of.

Immediately following that, another gentleman stood up and he said, "Stu, and I will pay for the cost to get you out there." Boom, boom. Eighty-five percent of all of my expenses were taken care of just like that.

My friends, it's all about being creative.

By asking myself that creative question, I was able to come up with a solution that got me out to the conference and my entrance fee paid for. By the time I got there it had turned into a big story, the national CAPS publication had written a story about me and I had all kinds of people coming up to me asking me questions.

Always remember to explore your creativity and may ideas come to you when you need them the most.

Keep your eye out for more!

Article Source: http://www.articleadventure.com

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