Creative Solutions Begin With Old Tools

by Feb 24, 2009Blog, Outside the Box

What type of business resource will you use to grow this year?

Many small business owners pride themselves on their creativity, the ability to come up with new ideas, new tools, new inventions.  But sometimes, the most creative solution is finding a new use for an old tool or business resource.

Mike Sansone wrote a thought-provoking post the other day asking: Is there only one way to use a car? At first, I thought, sure to get from place to place right? Wrong – Today as Mike points out cars have many uses:

Someone put a meter in a car and it became a taxi. Another decided they could help deliver stuff and now couriers double park in big cities. Banks use cars to make house calls and magnetic signs appear on construction trucks.  There are semi-trucks that move products and people, buses that take us to Tahoe or Branson, and the folks that bring us pizza. We even have trucks that do nothing but advertise.

The same is true for many other modern inventions, and as Mike points out Social Media tools. Facebook is not just for kids, Twitter has moved well beyond a list of what I am having for breakfast. As a professional marketer and small business owner, I am constantly re-evaluating my tools. I am looking for new ways to reach old customers and new ways to use old tools. What about you?

looking for new tools for your business?

Check out the Digital Toolbox. It is filled with worksheets, white papers and other resources which can help you think about your business in new ways.