5 Steps to Solo Brainstorming Success

When we think of brainstorming, it’s usually something we think about doing with at least one other person.  But there aren’t always other people around.  Or sometimes those around you aren’t the right people for brainstorming.  But as entrepreneurs, we sometimes need the spark that can be lit with a good brainstorming session, and we can’t wait for circumstance to be ideal.   We’re not talking rubbing sticks together kind of spark either.  You want a douse-it-with-gasoline-and-toss-a-flare-on-it kind of spark!  So how do you get the spark going on your own?  Here are some tips for fueling your creative thought processes, even without the help of a brainstorming partner:

1. Prepare to buckle down. You don’t want to have to stop and start unless absolutely necessary, so prepare for your brainstorming session.  Make sure you have notepads and pens (if you’re going to use them), snacks, something to drink, and reference materials, like a dictionary and thesaurus (of course, online versions are fine if you’ll be using your computer).  Also, if you don’t have it, consider getting More Words that Sell.  Even if you’re not brainstorming about marketing or sales, the lists in this book will get your creativity flowing.

2. Be a shut-in. Go somewhere quiet, where you won’t be disturbed.  Turn off the TV, the radio, your phone, and anything else that might distract you.  If you’re going to use your computer during your brainstorming, close out your email and any notification apps you have installed.  Also close any browser tabs that you won’t be using.  If you’re not used to that kind of solitude, it can be a little scary, but don’t worry.  It will do you good in more ways than one to get away from all the noise.

3. Write until your hand hurts. Ok, or type, but there’s something about writing that drives creativity.  Maybe it’s that you’re actually creating something tangible when you put ink on paper, or that it’s not as easy to erase.  In any case, what’s important is that you begin to create - whether on a notepad or your laptop.  You’re not going for anything concrete or perfect.  Just start writing.  Whatever comes to you, get it down.  You can go back later to sort and weed out.  One key is to ignore any voice in your head that might be telling you something is dumb, not worth writing down, or won’t work.  Remember, while absolute clarity on goals and objectives is important, this isn’t the time for that.  The idea is that one “dumb” idea might spark another brilliant one, and if you snuff out the spark of the dumb idea, the good one will never have a chance to grow.

4. Mind-map it. To really enhance your note-taking and idea flow, consider using a mind map.  If you haven’t used mind maps, do yourself a favor and look into it.  Mind maps are a very easy technique that will make a world of difference, whether during brainstorming, planning or any kind of note-taking.  Take a look at this video that does a good job of explaining mind mapping.

5. Wrap it all up. Once you feel like you’ve exhausted your brain, you should have a whole bunch of notes and ideas to go through.  Obviously brainstorming is only effective if you take something from it, so don’t delay in going back over everything.  While you might be mentally drained right away, set a time in the very near future to scour your notes and narrow down what you’ve put together into something useable.  If you used mind maps, this won’t be that difficult.  If you simply wrote notes, your goal is to pull out the useful information and put it into a form you can use to move forward.

Whether you’re trying to come up with business ideas, marketing plans, or content topics, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll gain from these sessions.  And the great thing is that the more you do this, the easier it will be, and the more you’ll get out of it.  So, what are you waiting for?  Get to brainstorming now, even if you’re going it alone.

Rescue Your Productivity: Just Say ‘No’ - More Often

At some point, just about everyone says yes to something to which they would rather have said no.  Why is that?  Maybe it’s part of our makeup.  Since childhood, we’ve all hated to hear, “NO.”  And our parents didn’t like saying it much more than we liked hearing it.  That’s why they used phrases like, “We’ll see,” and “Go ask your mother.”  But in business, “we’ll see” is seen as weak, and passing the buck is looked down upon.  So even those of us who aren’t habitual people-pleasers will often say yes to spare feelings and protect egos - even if it means compromising our own productivity.  Add to that the fear of upsetting a client or potential client, and we can quickly find ourselves saying yes way too often.

Some people hate saying no so much, they’ve developed the habit of the “default yes.”  Do clients, contacts, and networking acquaintances send you email newsletters you never read?  Do you automatically accept Facebook and LinkedIn friend, group, and fan page requests - knowing that they will lead to floods of unwanted inbox messages?  Why don’t you unsubscribe?  Why don’t you ignore or reject the requests and invitations?  Not only do we worry about the potential of hurting someone’s feelings in these cases, it’s also likely you are worried about the impression unsubscribing will make.  We can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that turning people down - in any form - is bad business.

The truth is, it’s not bad business to protect your productivity by being selective about the things you say yes to.  Saying yes to everyone isn’t doing anyone any favors - especially not you.  All of us who send out newsletters expect a certain number of unsubscribes, and professionals don’t take them personally, because we’re all in the same boat.  Who doesn’t get a ton of email they don’t need?  We all do.

As for social media, the beauty of the “ignore” button is that no one knows when you press it.  They don’t get an alert saying, “Bob just ignored your friend request.  Clearly he hates you.”  Also, many of those you’d like to ignore are the same people sending requests to everyone and their brother, so it’s doubtful they can even remember who they sent requests to!  So don’t worry about being selective.  Social media is a great tool for cultivating business relationships and should be used as such.  Select those you want to get to know and politely decline the rest.  It’s true that opportunity can be found anywhere, but there’s nothing wrong with narrowing down your contact lists to those most likely to result in mutually beneficial relationships.

The second part of the equation is managing those you do say yes to.  Even once you’ve committed to reducing the percentage of time you say yes, you might still find that your productivity is lacking.  And you’re not alone.  After all, it’s not just email and social media we have to keep track of.  We’ve got requests to attend webinars, trade shows, networking events, and a seemingly endless list of other “opportunities” to manage.  So even after you decide to say no to more of these, it’s likely you’re still keeping track of a lot of activity.  Oh, and you say you’d like to actually run your business some of the time as well?  How do you manage it all?  Try these ideas to keep your productivity optimized:

Hire a virtual assistant. From managing your email communications and social media presence to sending out marketing materials and writing blog entries, a qualified virtual assistant (VA) can help with a wide variety of tasks.  And with the number of people looking for work these days, coupled with the number of people interested in working from home - regardless of the unemployment rate - it’s possible to find a virtual assistant at a very reasonable monthly cost.  At sites like VirtualAssistants.com, you can post a description of your needs for free, and you’ll receive several VA resumes to choose from.  Be sure to ask for (and check) references, and writing samples, if applicable.

Use online productivity tools. Whether you hire a VA or not, there are a number of online productivity tools to help you further maximize your time.  Want to stay productive on the go without writing or typing?  Try out Jott Assistant.  This very cool service allows you to call a toll free number and “use your voice to capture notes and to-dos, set reminders and appointments, send email and text messages, and post to your favorite web services.”  It also integrates with your iPhone, Blackberry, Outlook and more.  Try it free for a week and see if it’s the right solution for you.

Another great tool to help you keep track of your thoughts, meetings, to-dos, and everything else on your plate is Evernote.  If you’ve ever been stuck trying to remember a great website you saw or the name of a contact you met at last night’s networking meeting, Evernote can help.  As they say on their site, “Chances are, if you can see it or think of it, Evernote can help you remember it.”  The best part about Evernote is that you get incredible functionality, and it’s free!

Obviously there’s a wealth of other productivity tools at your disposal in addition to these.  The point is, don’t hesitate to get help in some form.  Once you’ve learned to say no and manage your yeses, you’ll be amazed at how your productivity will soar!

Avoid Burnout - 5 Tips for Busy Entrepreneurs

We entrepreneurs are a hard working lot.  If we want success, we have to be.  And a lot of times that means long hours, deadlines, and pressures that can add up over time.  Studies have shown that if you don’t take steps to care for yourself while you’re working to build your dreams, you can do some real damage.  In fact, some estimates say that up to 90% of visits to doctors’ offices stem from stress-related issues.  And what good does it do to build a successful business if you’re not around to enjoy it or have to deal with health concerns because of it?  To avoid burnout and enjoy the journey - and the rewards - more, follow these tips:

1. Exercise more than just your brain. As an entrepreneur, you’re continuously giving your brain a workout, but don’t forget about your body.  One of the best ways to reduce stress, and condition yourself to handle more stress, and handle it better, is to stay in good physical shape.  If you’re going to take time out of your busy day to participate in any activity, few will have a more positive, lasting effect than exercise.  And if you think you don’t have time for it, you might have some misperceptions about what it takes to stay in shape.  You don’t need to spend hours a day working out to reduce stress and feel better.  Just a few minutes a day, a few days a week will help a lot, and you’ll feel a difference quickly.

2. Watch what you’re putting in your gullet. Along the same lines as exercise, watching your diet is important for feeling your best and will help you deal with stress and burnout.  Busy entrepreneurs are often on the move, and need to grab a quick bite on the go.  Unfortunately, if you’re not careful, what you’re stuffing your mouth with isn’t always the stuff that will keep you feeling your best.  Something as simple as cutting down on high-sugar snacks and drinks can make a big difference in how you feel, and you’ll be far less likely to experience that common afternoon burnout, much less long-term burnout.

3. Don’t go it alone. Trying to do everything yourself is a one-way ticket to entrepreneurial burnout.  Unfortunately, it’s also very common among people building their own businesses.  Whether it’s our independent nature or the need to save money, we entrepreneurs are often reluctant to hire anything out, and it can end up hurting us in the long-run.  The good news is that we can maintain control of our businesses and actually end up saving money if we approach this problem properly.  Consider finding one or more virtual assistants or freelancers to help you out.  You’ll not only pay less than you would for employees, but the time you’ll free up will allow you to concentrate more on the things that are making you income.  And the best part is that you’ll avoid burnout by delegating those tasks that you’d rather not do anyway, which will make you feel better and will free up time to follow some of the other advice on this list.

4. Get social. A necessary ingredient in a truly fulfilled life, and a key to preventing burnout, is to set aside time to participate in activities that you enjoy and are completely unrelated to your work.  Going out with friends, attending a sporting event, seeing a movie, or hitting the beach with the family can all help to get your mind off your pressures for a little while.  The key is to have some fun while focusing on something other than your business.  That’s not to say you won’t think about work at all, but your concentration will be on your friends, family, and the activity you’re participating in.  When you do return to your work, you just might be surprised at how refreshed you feel, and the ideas and inspiration that come to you!

5. Manage the clock. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but we definitely don’t all make the most of that time.  A lack of time management skills can seriously contribute to burnout.  If you’re not managing your time well, deadlines creep up faster, you find yourself rushing everywhere, and you might end up dealing with the added stress of letting people down by not being able to follow through as you promise.  There are a lot of online tools to help you manage your time, and technology can make a big difference in this area.  Another way to improve in this area is to compartmentalize your tasks.  In other words, group all similar tasks so you aren’t hopping all over the place and can focus on one area until you’re ready to move to the next.  For example, set aside a specific time each day to focus on social media and a time for email, rather than checking them throughout the day.  This will increase your focus and ultimately save you a lot of time.

What other tips do you have for managing stress and avoiding burnout?  Or, what’s your biggest challenge with managing your business and avoiding burnout?  Share in the comments!

7 iPhone Business Apps for Busy Entrepreneurs

When the iPhone was first released, there was some question as to whether it was practical for business.  Sure, it was slick and cool, but would it really help you run your business better?  Any doubts have long since been dispelled, and that’s mostly because of the iPhone App Store and the thousands of applications that have been created to make entrepreneurs’ lives easier.   Here is a list of 7 such apps, along with their prices.  Check them out to increase your business productivity, even on the go.

Documents to Go Premium - $14.99

Need to access, create and edit Microsoft Office documents, like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, from your phone?  With the Documents to Go app, you’ll be able to do that easily, on the fly.  Using folder synchronization, you’ll be able to transfer files between your phone and desktop as well.  Whether you have a sudden spark of inspiration, or you’re working in your car between meetings, this app will let you create and update docs on your own schedule.

Scanner Pro - $6.99

The Scanner Pro app turns your iPhone’s camera into a simple scanner.  Scan in notes, document details, receipts, or even a portion of a magazine article with Scanner Pro.  To make it work well, you’ll need a steady hand, so practice with it a bit, and soon you’ll wonder how you did without it.

FTP on the Go - $6.99

FTP on the Go offers all the features of a desktop FTP client, and more.  Let’s say you’re sitting at Starbucks, and you notice a glaring error on your website.  Don’t rush back to the office.  Just fix it and upload the change right from your phone!  Need to download a file that’s on your server?  You can do that too.

TripIt - Free

If you travel a lot, whether for business or pleasure, TripIt is a must.  This app is a travel organizer that builds trip itineraries and organize your travel plans all in one place.  Just add plans@tripit.com to your itinerary recipients when you book your travel at any site, and the app does the rest.  If you’re a frequent traveler, you can upgrade to TripIt Pro for $69/year (after 30 day free trial), which offers mobile travel alerts, alternate flight suggestions, frequent flyer point tracking and more.

Line2 - $14.95/mo

There’s been quite a bit of buzz about this app, and with good reason.  Line2 is a very cool app indeed.  It utilizes your iPhone’s WiFi capabilities to allow you to make VoIP calls.  Not only does this help when you don’t have a strong AT&T signal, because it bypasses your AT&T calling plan, it won’t use your minutes.  Oh, and if that’s not cool enough, Line2 can turn your iTouch into a full-blown cell phone!

To-Do List - $0.99

The To-Do List app helps you keep track of all your lists - grocery lists, shopping lists, birthdays, house chores, business items, and more. Tasks can easily be added, categorized, edited, removed, and sorted.  The drag and drop feature makes it really easy to use this app to prioritize all the day’s tasks, and you can even create repeating tasks and carry those tasks you didn’t get done over to the next day.

iBlueSky - $9.99

If you’ve never heard of mind mapping, you’d be wise to look into it.  It’s a great way to take notes, map out projects, and brainstorm, among other things.  The iBlueSky app makes mind mapping easy on your iPhone or iTouch.  When that genius idea hits, you don’t want to have to try to remember it or write it on a napkin.  iBlueSky gives you the power to take that idea and expand on it fully, then save it for later and export it in Novamind, PDF or PNG formats.

Many of the above apps will work on the iPod Touch as well as the iPhone, so even if you don’t have AT&T or don’t want the iPhone, you might be able to take advantage of their features.  Check them out at the Apple App Store, and pump up your productivity on the go!

Keeping it Together – Dropbox Brings Sanity to Your Devices

If you’re like a lot of people, you have a desktop, laptop, smartphone, and maybe even an iPad.  So what do you do when you have a brilliant idea while sitting at Starbucks working on your laptop or in your car with just your iPhone or Blackberry handy, and you want to recall the document you created later, when you’re working at home on your PC?  Chances are, you do something like email it to yourself or use a flash stick to transfer the file.  Well, once you start using Dropbox, you’ll see that as so 2009!

The folks at Dropbox say their application is like having a “magic pocket.”  We don’t know about all that, but what it is, is pretty cool. There are a lot of online file storage apps available, and most offer pretty much the same thing - a place where you can upload files to back them up, share them, or have them available when you’re online.  What sets Dropbox apart is its ability to automatically sync all your devices, whether they’re PC or Mac, mobile or fixed, so that the files you have on one are the files you have on all.  Think about that for a minute.  If you’ve ever had a device stolen, fried, or dropped in a swimming pool, you’ll see the huge advantage to the sync abilities of Dropbox.  But even barring the need for disaster recovery, the simple convenience of having access to your files anywhere, anytime is worth the price of Dropbox.

Speaking of price, here’s the scoop on Dropbox pricing: Up to 2 GB of space is completely free, and that’s as much as many people will ever need.  If you do want more, a huge step up to the 50 GB plan will only set you back $9.99 a month, and the 100 GB plan is just $19.99 a month.

Features You’ll Love

The basics of Dropbox are enough to make anyone want to use it, but they’re just the beginning of the value.  Here are just a few of the highlights:

• Sync files of any size or type
• Sync files on Windows, Mac, and Linux OS
• Mobile Dropbox for iPhone, iTouch, Blackberry, and coming soon - Android!
• Automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected
• Share files by granting permissions, and see changes instantly
• File undelete capabilities with 30-day undelete history (unlimited undo/undelete on paid plans)

There are a ton more features you’ll love, so check out their features page to get the whole story.  Bottom line on this app is that it has everything you need to keep all your stuff together and access it from all your devices, and that’s more than cool, it’s time and effort-saving, which is critical for entrepreneurs.

Note: We are not affiliates of Dropbox, and this is not a sponsored post.  We just love to pass on great apps when we find them.

More Recent Posts »