If you are looking for the next great marketing idea for your company, look no further, this idea has worked for me many different times. I have used the exact same idea with the exact same company 3 different times, and have 3 completely different results.

Here is what you do:

Here is how you start, you each must write down one idea on the paper for how you company can market to either your existing clients, or new clients (or demographics, or new/existing markets, etc).

Give everyone about 2 minutes to complete this. Then you, as the owner, go first with your idea, say it outloud, explain if necessary. After you have given your idea, “Board It!”, that means the writer will then write that idea on the board.

Have everyone go around and share their idea, then “Board It!” with every idea. After everyone has given their initial idea, begin with number 1 on the board and start brainstorming off that idea. “Board It!” with these second round ideas somewhere next to the first. Everyone can be taking notes with ideas that come into their mind as someone else is talking.

Do not allow criticism of these ideas, Round 1 and Round 2 are for brainstorming only. Each round should take about 10 minutes each. The pace should be fast and furious in the first round, and round two should slow down a little, but don’t allow anyone to get bored.

You want to avoid people talking over each other, and allow each person to finish a complete thought before moving on. This will build confidence in the shy people who don’t like to open up to the group with their ideas.

After you “Board It!” with the second round ideas, find the top 10 ideas (or however many you want) and begin to criticize them.

Here is what you should look at:

1. Is it too expensive?
2. Is our company big/small enough to accomplish this?
3. Do we have adequate people for this idea?
4. Do we have an adequate budget for this idea?

Also come up with a few of your own criticisms you want to talk about.

If you answer “No” to the previous questions, then ask, “Should we change the _______ of the company so we can accomplish that idea?”. For example, “Should we change the advertising budget so we can incorporate that idea?”.

This type of brainstorming meeting should not need to be longer than an hour. After you have done it one time, it will be easier the following times you try it.

Give me a little feedback on this idea, did it work for you? Why or why not?

This is a great feature for procrastinators like me. I need a book at the last minute and don’t have time to wait for Amazon, or worse yet a slow seller, to ship it to me.

This happened to me two weeks ago. I am taking a class on Business Ethics for my Business Management degree from National University.

I ordered the book 6 days before my class started. I thought those 6 days, plus a couple days that we don’t really do anything should be plenty of time.

Then came my first test, 12 days after ordering my book from a private seller on Amazon.

I didn’t have my book, and had a test that was straight from the book. I checked online and Borders didn’t have it in store anywhere near me.

Then I checked Barnes & Noble’s website and never could find any way to search and see if my book was in any of the local stores (about 5 within 1 hour’s drive).

Then, after failing with my quest online I figured I would check the library. Our local library allows you to search online, and I found the book!

I was in Barnes & Noble yesterday and guess what, they had the book! Too late of course, now I have the book I ordered, and the book I checked out of the library.

Barnes & Noble has the technology to allow searching online, no doubt.

I am going to speculate a couple reasons why they don’t allow you to search their in-store inventory online.

When shopping online, I know what I want and I am looking for the least expensive price from a reputable source.

When buying online there is nobody to remind me that I need a bowl and fish food for my newly purchased goldfish.

In store shoppers are at the mercy of the store selling the product they want. Sure you can go somewhere else, but for $2.00 I won’t drive anywhere.

I guarantee that when Barnes & Noble looks at their profit per sale online, compared to their profit per sale in their stores, the differences are huge.

Keep that in mind next time you are running an “Internet Only” offer!

Here is an example that you may be able to relate with, and might help you grow your business.

A local physical therapy company named Troxell and Mohr approached the Madera Unified School District and offered to sponsor an “Employee of the Month”.

The “Prize Package” for the employee includes, “a stainless steel travel coffee mug, t-shirt, free movie passes as well as dinner at a local restaurant.”

Coffee mug: $7
T-Shirt: $10
Movie tickets: $16
Dinner for two: $25
Total cost: $58

Getting the goodwill of a school district with over 2,500 employees, and an email with your company contact information in it, and a spot on the front page of the website? Priceless.

On top of that, Troxell and Mohr and excellent Physical Therapy company, they have been very good to me.

Next time you have a small budget and want to give to a good cause, make it worth your while and ask if they can mention your name!

In a way Starbucks has carved out a niche market. They didn’t invade a niche market and then dominate it, the just created it.

You may not think there are very many niche markets left in America, but trust me, there are.

When thinking about your niche market, think about the abundance of information in your niche. Steve at InYourWeb says, “there has to be plenty of new content ideas available on a daily basis.”

This is true, there must be new information…unless you sell products in a retail environment. The internet is an ever changing place and you have to keep up. If you are a retail book store specializing in History, you don’t necessarily need fresh content.

When attempting to carve your own niche, think about these three things.

1. The money to be made in that niche.
2. The amount of potential customers in relation to the total population.
3. The amount of work it will take.

After determining that your niche idea is a winner, go at it full steam. If it doesn’t take off, chalk it up to experience and look again.

Happy Niche Hunting!

Unfortunately there are times where a boss might give you 2 days to come up with a company advertising slogan, or create an advertising campaign within a short time frame.

Whenever I have a project that has an unwelcome deadline the first thing I do it get a pad of paper and take a drive. I prefer to drive somewhere in the country where I am not distracted by other vehicles, stop lights, and traffic. Driving for some reason always helps me come up with creative business ideas.

Turn off the radio, get a pen and start thinking about the project. What are the goals? What has been done in the past? How can the advertising and promotion of other companies be translated into something creative for your company?

These are the things I think about. Right when you have a creative idea, write it down. You may want to be safe and pull over so you don’t have an accident (although that might get you out of the deadline).

Here is an example. You sell copiers and are trying to think of a slogan while driving past fruit trees. First you think of the trees, then the farmer.

Most farmers don’t buy many copiers, but if they have an office they might…but most farm offices only have a couple employees.

But that gives you an idea. You can help companies with hundreds of employees, or just a couple. You can take that idea and turn it into a slogan like:

“Superior Copiers has the copier for 2 employees or 2,000 employees.” Now it isn’t the slogan you would want to use, but now you have something to go on.

Next time you need a creative idea, take a drive.