Creative Ideas for Business | 5 Hacks for Boring People
In this article, we go through 5 awesome ways you can think of creative ideas for business.
It could be creative ideas for your business in general, but you can apply these ideas to your marketing to come up with those all important disruptive results that get people talking and paying attention.
Now before we dig in, have you ever said or thought to yourself…
I’M SO BORING. MY BUSINESS IS BORING. MY INDUSTRY IS BORING. I CAN’T DO ANYTHING CREATIVE. I WON’T BE ABLE TO DO ANY OF YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS FOR BUSINESS SUGGESTIONS.
Sound familiar?
Well don’t you worry about it. Because this article and video above is all about how ANYBODY can find inspiration to think of creative ideas.
Why is this important to do? Simply put, creativity trumps budget.
Creative marketing doesn’t have to break the bank if the idea is creative enough.
5 Hacks to Think of Creative Ideas for Business.
Hack 1. Look to Other Industries for Inspiration
You don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Sometimes we just have to look a little bit outside of our normal restraints. Look at other industries and see how they are doing things, what marketing they are doing, and how they are getting the attention of their potential customers.
Then for use of a better word… steal it.
OK, steal it is a bit strong, let’s go with… lend from it responsibly without breaching copyright.
As long as you are looking at a different industry that isn’t your competition – feel free to look at ways to implement what they are doing into your own business.
We’ve put this as number 1, because it is one of the easiest ways of thinking of creative ideas for business, but rarely do we come across a business owner actively looking at other industries.
In fact, look at the creative sectors out there (photography, design, marketing, art, music, advertising etc.) if you want to be inspired, look no further than these.
Hack 2. Start a Swipe File
Taking Hack 1 a step further, you need to curate your own swipe file of creative ideas that have got your attention. So when you are in need of a creative idea of your own, you have a place to go full of ideas that you can apply to your own business. There isn’t a right or wrong way of creating a Swipe File either. It could be:
- Clipping from Evernote (you can download the plugin for Chrome)
- Screenshots saved to a file on your computer
- Photos you take on your iPhone uploaded to Dropbox
- Printed images in a folder
- A pin board of things that have caught your attentions.
- Etc.
Find a way that works for you, that you can easily add too with minimal effort. That’s the key to a successful Swipe File… if it’s not easy to add to, it is never going to grow.
In a few month’s time you’ll have a resourced primed with examples of creative ideas for business.
Hack 3. Get Drunk
OK, so the pub works for us, but we aren’t condoning getting off your face to think of creative ideas… rather just getting out of your office or place of work is a great way to get inspired with a fresh head on.
If you don’t feel creative when you are ‘at work’. Don’t get creative at work, get creative in a place of your choosing.
It could be a local park, you could go for a walk, it could be with a pen and paper and a morning coffee in your garden, find a place that inspires you, that feels different to your desk, take a friend or a colleague and thrash out some ideas.
Andrew: “Do you think we need one of those drink aware logos on this blog.”
Pete: “Better safe than sorry.”
Hack 4. Organise a Time to be Creative
OK, so this one may be a bit controversial, as at the end of the day you can’t always force creativity, but having regular times in your schedule dedicated to thinking of creative ideas for business will really help we promise.
It is a case of knowing when your creative juices are flowing the most, and going to those creative places in Hack 3.
Maybe you meet a Mastermind group, once a month at a local pub.
Maybe you go for a walk before work twice a week.
Maybe Thursday mornings you keep clear for ‘New Business Development Ideas’?
Whatever and whenever it is, grab a pen and some paper, and be dedicated to actually spending time on your business. If you don’t schedule it in, it won’t get done.
Hack 5. Start with the Boring
If you want to think of creative ideas for business easily, the easiest place to start is with the boring aspects of your industry. Look at what is fairly standardised across your competition, and disrupt it.
We’re talking about really boring aspects like email signatures, proposals, about pages, contact forms etc. (all pretty standard right?)
Develop your own tone of voice around these areas, and soon you will find the creative ideas flowing into other areas of your business.
TOP TIP: Don’t be scared to be yourself, say things how you want to say them and you’ll develop a brand people love.
Need More Inspiration? Download our Freebie: 20 Awesome Marketing Ideas to Draw Inspiration From.
We have put together 20 real life case studies of awesome marketing ideas that we think is great to draw inspiration from.
Click here to Download it here for free.
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▶ Creative Marketing Ideas for Boring Companies
▶ A Brainstorming Technique for More Creative Ideas
▶ How to be More Creative | A&P vs D&L Ep. 1
Great first Vlog guys! Short, sweet and well structured with the 5 hack system.
I found the editing a little jumpy which occasionally is OK as it keeps the pace fast and is great for maintaining engagement. However, if it’s cut like this too often it can become distracting and draw attention from your fab content.
Infectious energy and generous ideas – thank you.
Great way to start off my morning! Thanks guys!
Fab format, great content and right length.
Will look out for the next edition – TAKE 2 😉
Thanks Alison! We’ll bear that in mind 🙂 Short and sweet like Pete! haha
Thanks Jeff, really appreciate it! 😀
Some good pointers and very funny – especially hack 3, we have had some of our best ideas in the pub. We used to try and set up meeting’s for this but it always felt awkward, we now use a tool where we log conversations for new ideas (Asana), so they don’t get lost in emails or instant messaging 🙂
Thanks Guys!!
Really liked it guys, thanks. With Alison on the editing point, but know you’ll smooth that out as you go. Working up to giving vlogging a go myself…..see you next Friday for some advice.
Full of energy and quirkiness! Just the way we love it!
Editing a bit jumpy.
Great content though! ????????
Loving your content as usual guys. Great tips!
A vlog is something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while, but I think I’m still camera shy…lol but keep up the great work and I’m looking forward to more.
Loved it!
Great video length. Engaging. My filthy mind did conjure up a thought when Andrew mentioned getting ‘juices flowing’ but that’s my issue, not yours!
I like that you left the blooper in there and didn’t edit it out.
Question for Pete, are their rules about drinking and operating a wheelchair after a pub visit?!!
Fabulous first vlog both — well done! I especially like the idea on changing scenery. I’ve found this works for even the simple things, like relocating to a coffee shop to get my inbox down to zero!
Great vlog, really like this format and genuinely useful advice too. Can be difficult to justify to oneself time spent ‘just sitting being creative’ but totally agree that it’s worthwhile to do so.
I agree with some of the commenters above about the format being slightly ‘jumpy’ – but then again that might work well for some other people.
Well done and looking fwd to future vlog posts!
Thanks John! Really appreciate your comment 😀 Haha yeh it can be hard to just book out an hour to do nothing essentially but then what you will find is that, that one hour makes you reflect on what is actually essential and what isn’t. Most of what we do isn’t essential and most of what we do isn’t the best way of doing it. Having time to reflect and do nothing (so we have time to think more creatively) then actually becomes the most important part of what we do. In a rather backwards way haha. Maybe just give it a try for a week.
ps. glad you’re looking forward to the next one – it comes out tomorrow and I’m not even being biased here we think it’s much better haha.
Thanks Richard!! 😀 It’s annoying to have to move, but it does work you’re right!
Woohoooo thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! Hahahaha. Ahhh yes well actually I’m not sure but there probably should be 😉 hahaha.
-Pete
Oh thank you Katyan!! 😀
No need to be camera shy, just do it, start with snapchat to ease you into being on screen, then do a few periscopes or FB live’s and then attempt some videos – thats the best way to build up to it. It’s what we did 🙂
Thanks Beverly!! 😀 Yes we will work on the jump cut a little more haha but at least we’ve made a start now! Excited for the next one coming out tomorrow.
Thanks Julia!! 😀 Yes we will work on the jump cut a little more haha but at least we’ve made a start now! Excited for the next one coming out tomorrow.
Looking forward to your vlog!
Sarah…in a pub? never!? Haha thanks Sarah! Glad you liked! We keep hearing good things about Asana!
Thanks Russell!! 😀 We’re excited for the next one coming out tomorrow!
Ha ha – but terrible choice of beer lads! I had actually started doing the change of scene to get a bit more creative. I think I need you 2 to get your grandads on so that the ideas come out slowly enough for me to absorb 😉
The swipe file is a really useful one… if i could remember where I saved it last time 😉
Haha Ray, maybe you need to put us in Slow Mo!
How did the change of scenery help? Did you stick to it? Start a swipe file online – Evernote or Dropbox, then you can’t lose it haha.
Evernote’s my “Go to” to be honest!