1. Be confident! Erase all fears of failure. Fear is the innovation killer.

2. Organize teams of coworkers to track the competition and have each team focus on one product or service niche. Hold quarterly update meetings for all teams.

3. Hire business management consultants to track competitive trends on a regular basis. Ask employees to report findings in an accurate way. Remind him that his tas is to motivate people to work hard.

4. Regularly ask people: ‘If we could provide any additional product or service, what would it be?’

5. Send your staff to trade fairs and exhibits and create a regular brainstorming session where people will report the high points of the trade fair. To develop a sense of camaraderie, make certain that all employees attend.

6. Form a planning team of creative thinkers.Include them in planning innovations and ideas to your products and services in a month’s time.

7. Carry out a well-structured focus group among your customers. Examine new products from competitors as well as your own.

8. Place a comments box on your website. Offer a trip to Bora Bora as a reward for the best idea.

9. Formulate goals on entering joint venture with other companies.

10. Develop employee interaction via brainstorming sessions, ask them the things they think the company does well. Ask them to do more of it.

11. Invite employees to speak up on everything they believe the organization is not doing well. Ask them what they would do to change it. Implement the most worthwhile suggestions right away.

12. Set objectives and performance standards for innovation. E.g. each manager will be responsible for creating something that adds value to the company each month.

13. Develop an internal business venture planning department where employees are encouraged to submit plans and ideas.

14. Provide incentives for the most productive employees.

15. Implement a company wide incentive program for new and innovative ideas.

16. Prioritize the importance of innovation in your company’s hiring standards.

17. Ask department heads to join in scenario planning. Make sure they answer the question: ‘What would we do if our two largest competitors merged…’

18. Be a professional in licensing new technology.

19. Start a new team laser-focused on getting new customers. Ask your people to find new customers each day.

20. Observe the latest trends in the field of research and development.

21. Form an advisory board consisting of people whom you’d most like to buy your products or services. Work had, don’t sleep until they purchase from you.

22. Formulate a job rotation program so that employees can have a feel about the other divisions in the company.

23. Create an intern program to groom untapped talent from local universities. Collaborate with them: Students work in your company, employees work in their school.

24. Host a strategy meeting off hours committed to innovation. Conduct it in a place where there are no chairs and tell people to decorate the place.

25. Praise the positive developments!

26. Let it be known that a sense of humor, fun, and play is welcome. Create a fun environment for people to work in.

27. Promote innovations in company journals.

28. Acquaint yourself with business people. Let them know you want to acquire an organization in the same market and with the same entrepreneur spirit as you. If nothing is achievable, wait 6 months. rerun the whole step-by-step procedure.

29. Start a regular training session in creative thinking.

30. Communicate to your employees that failure is part of the learning process and it’s just okay to fail sometimes. Then tell them again.

31. Institute a special holiday program for your team.

32. Conduct a yearly in-house innovation exhibit.

33. Identify inventors in the community with whom your company would like to form a relationship. Set up an innovator relations team.

34. Hold a party where people come dressed up like their favorite inventors. Give small tokens.

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Technorati Tags: innovation, intrapreneurship, leadership, motivation

The benefits are many.  A person who is organized can complete their work much more efficiently.  They forget important events less.  They don’t have anxious moments or feel as though they have lost control as often as someone who is disorganized.  So here are some practical tips for those of us who don’t have the organizational gene built in:

Don’t Turn Your Back on a Mess at Night

Make the last task before heading out for the evening a quick few minutes to straighten your workspace.  Gather your office supplies up and place them together on your desktop so they are ready to go when you return.  Look for anything that doesn’t belong and move it, such as used coffee cups or an overflowing trash can. 

Most important, quickly go through the papers cluttering up the desk and stack them somewhat in the order they need to be tackled in the morning.  At the same time, you can quickly prepare an action plan (also known as “to-do list”) for the next day, and rank each task in order of importance. 

You will find that this simple 10 minute process each evening will fire you up to jump in feet first the next day to complete what needs to be done. 

Organize Work Product Using the Rule of 3

There are those who have a file folder for everything and know immediately where anything is.  Then, there are the rest of us.  One trick I have found helpful in organizing work papers so I can actually find them is to group them according to the rule of 3. 

The idea is simple.  Never have more than three piles of paperwork going at any given time.  The first stack contains the most pressing items you hope to accomplish within the day.  Next, are those items to accomplish sometime during the week, and the final stack contains those less pressing items to get to within the month.  This may take a few minutes to create the first time, but in the long run it will save you ton of time from having to look through every paper on your desk for the one that you really need. 

Don’t Wait

Ultimately, the longer you wait to find an organization system that works for you and your small business, the more opportunities you miss for your small business.  A larger part of your day can be spent on making your small business succeed when you are organized.  And keep in mind, what works for one person is a disaster for another.  So find the system that works for you and make sure you can commit to using it every day.     

Get more small business success strategies and claim your free white paper: “7 Ways Your Stone-Age Accounting System is Stealing Money From You Every Day … And, How to Get it Back This Year”  to learn about an online accounting program that makes it simple to organize your accounting and finance.

Technorati Tags: general business tips, motivation, organization, productivity, self improvement, small business

There are a lot of great reasons to stay organized.  A person who is organized can complete their work much more efficiently.  The remember key meetings and events more often.  They feel less stressed and out of control.  So here are some practical tips for those of us who don’t have the organizational gene built in:

Don’t Turn Your Back on a Mess at Night

Make the last task before heading out for the evening a quick few minutes to straighten your workspace.  Gather your office supplies up and place them together on your desktop so they are ready to go when you return.  Throw out the trash and get rid of any used cups or other things that don’t belong. 

The most critical part of this step is to gather your paperwork into a rough order of how you want to handle it the next day.  While you’re at it, start a to-do list for the next day, and label each item “A” “B” or “C” depending on how important it is to complete. 

You will find that this simple 10 minute process each evening will fire you up to jump in feet first the next day to complete what needs to be done. 

Organize Work Product Using the Rule of 3

There are those people with organization stamped on their forehead who never waste time looking for what they need to complete a task.  Then, there are the rest of us.  One trick I have found helpful in organizing work papers so I can actually find them is to group them according to the rule of 3. 

The idea is not tricky.  Never have more than three piles of paperwork going at any given time.  The first stack is your most pressing business that you hope to get through during the day.  Next, are those items to accomplish sometime during the week, and the final stack contains those less pressing items to get to within the month.  This can be a painful upfront process, but by taking the time to create these three stacks, you will save time in the long run from digging through piles when you are in a hurry and need some critical paper fast. 

Don’t Wait

Ultimately, the longer you wait to find an organization system that works for you and your small business, the more opportunities you miss for your small business.  When you are organized, a bigger part of your day can be spent on the success of your business.  And remember, one person’s organization is another person’s nightmare.  So find the system that works for you and make sure you can commit to using it every day.     

Get more small business success strategies and claim your free white paper: “7 Ways Your Stone-Age Accounting System is Stealing Money From You Every Day … And, How to Get it Back This Year”  to learn about an online accounting program that makes it simple to organize your accounting and finance.

Technorati Tags: general business tips, motivation, organization, productivity, self improvement, small business

There are a lot of great reasons to stay organized.  An organized business person is able to get more work done in less amount of time.  The remember key meetings and events more often.  They are more relaxed and feel in control of their day.  Below are some functional tips to keep your business organized for those of us that are organizationally challenged:

Don’t Turn Your Back on a Mess at Night

Don’t head out the door in the evening without taking a short amount of time to straighten your desk.  Gather  your pens, stapler, and other tools together so you can find them in the morning.  Check the trash can and empty it if necessary, and remove any empty cups or other dishes that are cluttering your desk. 

The most critical part of this step is to gather your paperwork into a rough order of how you want to handle it the next day.  While you’re at it, start a to-do list for the next day, and label each item “A” “B” or “C” depending on how important it is to complete. 

You will find that this simple 10 minute process each evening will fire you up to jump in feet first the next day to complete what needs to be done. 

Organize Work Product Using the Rule of 3

There will always be those people who know right where everything they need is at any time.  Then, there are the rest of us.  I have found the best way to organize my working papers so that I can actually find something when I need it is to use the rule of 3. 

The idea is not tricky.  Never have more than 3 stacks going at a time.  The first stack is your most pressing business that you hope to get through during the day.  Stack number 2 will hold those items you want to get to this week, and the final stack will be those less critical things you can get to within the month.  You may need to dedicate some time up front to get these three stacks organized, but the time will be ultimately saved as you are able to find needed paperwork much more quickly without digging through everything on your desk. 

Take Action

The bottom line is that you are losing opportunities for your small business every day that you wait to find an organization system you can work with.  When you are organized, a bigger part of your day can be spent on the success of your business.  But remember, one size does not fit all and what works for one would drive someone else crazy.  So find the system that works for you and make sure you can commit to using it every day.     

Get more small business success strategies and claim your free white paper: “7 Ways Your Stone-Age Accounting System is Stealing Money From You Every Day … And, How to Get it Back This Year”  to learn about an online accounting program that makes it simple to organize your accounting and finance.

Technorati Tags: general business tips, motivation, organization, productivity, self improvement, small business