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How To Use Creative Thinking In A New Business Start-up

Updated on March 29, 2011

Read My Other Articles About Owning And Operating Your Own Business

The first article I published here on HubPages is about starting your own house cleaning business. This covers the basics for start-up and many of the same ideas can be adapted to other business ventures. Make sure to read, How To Start A Housekeeping Business On A Shoestring Budget. Many of the ideas in the article can be utilized with any other business venture if you use a little creative thinking.

Writing As I Pursue This Business

I am rebuilding and starting all over after a natural disaster wiped out the majority of my personal belongings. Not willing to throw in the towe,l I decided all I can do now is start over from scratch. Since I have been writing hubs I figured it would be a good thing to share my ideas and experiences as I move along, rebuilding my art studio. That lead me to write the article, How To Start An Art Studio On A Low Budget. This is where I try to emphasize the need to be careful and conservative when spending money to build up a business. I have made suggestions and shown examples of ways to keep the cost of start-up at a minimal level. The ideas and thoughts presented in the article can easily be adapted to other businesses if you try to relate them to your personal situation.


Use What You Know To Help You Advance Your Ideas

This article is one in a series, I have been working on as I pursue starting my own new business venture. I feel that by sharing what I know and, what I have been currently researching, not only will it be helping me look more closely but I might also be assisting others with their new business ventures.

Most of my adult life I have been self employed. Both of my parents owned and operated their own businesses and for me it only seemed natural to do the same. I think I have done just about everything i am capable of as far as work goes. Some of the business ventures were very successful and others fell on their faces. I am not going to lie and tell you that everything I have ever pursued worked but i will say that I have an extensive background when it comes to being self employed.

Keep Cash Output To A Minimum

Starting Any Business requires putting out some sort of energy, be it in the form of currency, credit, effort or simply thought. I find it of utmost importance to put a lot of the last, (THOUGHT), in to everything you do in order to keep your cash in the bank. Let's face it the idea is to make money from a business not spend it. Start out with a frugal mind set and always adhere to that mind set. It will help get the ball rolling in your new business and it will always keep you in training to make more money down the line.You will have to spend a lot of time that is the nature of the beast. Try to avoid spending credit at all cost.

Learn From Other Successful People

I feel like there is a lot of B. S. available to those who are truly interested in starting their own businesses. That is unfortunate because most people who are selling their get rich quick schemes are not in the market to help you. They are in the market to help themselves. They have something to sell you and most often it will only be of benefit to their own financial income.

I want to stress to you that there is a lot of good information and help out there but you have to weed out the overwhelming number of scams to get to the things that can help. One thing that always seems to stand out when these scams are being presented is the EASY LINE. It usually says something like, work less, big income, low investment, big returns, make 1000. per day, make 10,000. per month, so easy you won't believe it, no experience necessary to make millions, ON AND ON WITH ALL THIS NONSENCE.

Those are no more than sales ploys. If it were that easy, everyone would be rich and you would never have to worry about a thing. The fact is it takes work to make money and it most often takes an unyielding commitment on your part. You have to believe in what you want and you are going to have to work hard to make it happen.

Most of the folks i have spoken to who are a success have an entire portfolio of business War Stories, filled with Hard Times and empty wallets. It was their determination and will that got them where they are. That is also the thing that keeps them in good standing. It really helps if you LOVE what you want to do.

These successful people are almost always willing to share their knowledge for free. They love what they do so much that an understanding of up and coming young talent fills them with joy. In a some way they probably see their own young self in the business venture prospect and would like to help just because they would like to see you succeed. Successful people can recognize talent that has not been developed. The developing is up to you. I stress now that you should seek out those who have proven their ability in whatever field you are considering and learn everything you can from them. The price you will pay is the time you are willing to spend. Do your homework!

Creative Thinking Applied To Your Goal

Many visions come to me when I think of the kind of creativity I am talking about. I see Rocky Balboa running up and down outdoor flights of stairs in a big city. Something makes me remember that he was the poor guy who wanted to be the best boxer but did not have the money for fancy training in a big gym. He was running up and down common stairs to build his legs and strength.

There was also the movie about country and western singer, Loretta Lynn. She was living in some small house with babies hanging on her hip and on her leg and all over the kitchen while she slaved over a hot stove cooking a pot of beans and singing something to her children. She just had to sing. She had no training but she never let go of what she knew deep down in her heart.

Desire, drive, faith and hard work go a long way. Utilizing creative thinking can make your way a little easier and save you time and money. Don't think I CAN'T, Think How Can I ? Don't look at the problem and dwell on it. Dwell on the solution to the problem.

Think Creative To Make It Happen

The problem I am facing is a lack of work space. I need a small area that will contain my tools and equipment and at the same time allow me to set down and work when I have the time. I have to be able to leave my artwork and go do other things yet be able to come back to it when my time permits. Some of my art projects have to set to dry or wait for the next step in the line of production. That means waiting and it means leaving the work out in the open until I get back to it.

I have to have a place set up to photograph the work I want to sell and this means I need a well lit place that has a good background. I also have to have my reference books and other materials for shipping and handling available. It is best to have everything together to save me time so I need a very streamlined place for operation. It is out of the question for me to get everything out, set it up and then have to put it all away when I am finished. The reason is, I am never finished.

Know Your Self

Another reason I have to have everything set up is because I know myself enough to know that If everything is not there and waiting for me to work then I will not work. I absolutely have to have a set up studio. I have to be able to walk in, set down and, get busy doing my art. I can not do that at the location I am living. That is how I have always been set. No matter where I have lived for all of my artistic life, I have had some sort of art studio set up.

Since the flood our home is being repaired. The weather has put things on hold. It will be at least a few months before work on that can be completed and the entire area that was lost is going to have to be rebuilt. That is going to cost thousands of dollars and a lot of time. My Art Studio can not wait for all of those other problems to be solved. The questions are, what can I do about it? Where am I going to come up with an adequate place to set up my Art Studio? How can I afford to pay for a place to put my equipment? How much space do I really need?

I have been haunted by these thoughts and questions for a couple of months.First I had to get some more equipment, but before that I had to decide what kind of artwork I was going to pursue when starting from scratch. I am an artist. I am not complete as a human if I am not doing my artwork. I am not happy and I can not settle for waiting months or a year or two. I knew a few days after the flood that I would have to start over, OR DIE.

Go For It With Creativity

I decided I would start with jewelry making and woodburning and go from there. Both of these crafts can be started in a small enough space. I used all of the money I got from Christmas Bonuses from my other business to purchase the minimal amount of tools. That kept me from spending out of my regular income. Now I have most of what I need to actually be producing artwork but there is no place available to set up my Art Studio. This is where I had to think very creative.

I am skilled at doing make ready work for real estate. The economy is bad. There are people out there who have remodel and interior decorating work that needs to be done but they are holding off because of the economically related fears of spending in an unstable economic time. I know of two people in particular who own property who are just setting it out. They are Not doing what they need to do to their properties in lieu of waiting to see how the economy is going to shift. They know that the work they need will have to be done sooner or later but are opting for later because of a shaky economy.

Look For Opportunity

This is where I saw opportunity. I need a place to work and I see that two people I know might possibly be open to do a little bartering for space vs. work. In other words, they might be willing to allow me to use some of their real estate to set up an Art Studio in return for my doing the work they need to have completed. That is when I got on the horn and put out the word that I was open for doing some trade. To my own astonishment within one day i had set up appointments to look at two situations I could have for the taking. All I needed to do was see what the real estate owners were in need of and then make my offer.

My creative thinking paid off in a big way. I have managed to set up agreements that will provide me with a place to do my artwork for the next 6 months and at the same time I will be helping my friends advance their own particular cause. At the end of our terms of the trade agreement I have options on both places to rent or purchase the properties in question before they will be put on the market for someone else.

A word of warning here. Though I feel very secure in making the deals I have managed it is good to know exactly who you are dealing with. It might be best for you to get your agreement in writing. This could entail having some sort of contract drawn up between each party. The many years of experience has taught me that people do not always say what they mean or mean what they say. I strongly advise that you be sure to protect yourself from any unforeseen problems that can arise when making a deal such as I have. The key words here are PROTECT YOURSELF.

Keep Good Records And Take Photographs

I would suggest that you are very meticulous about record keeping. I would also include photographs of work you might do for trade. It is best if you can take before and after pictures. I like to shoot a lot of photos of the places I work and do them also as I am going along. These photos will not only provide some proof of the work but can also be utilized in other ways. I will often study a picture in order to solve problems or make decisions on where to go with an idea.

The photographs will also make an excellent addition to any portfolio you want to create around your work. Take photos because they are a tool in themselves. My next hub might very well feature photographs of what I have been doing with my progress in the studio. I plan to write additional hubs on pursuing the dream of business ownership and self employment so stay tuned and use your creative brain to save your cash. 

working

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