We sell restoration businesses. That’s all we do. As a result, we end up “looking under the hood” of literally hundreds of businesses each year (for the past 15 years!).
We see lots of good ideas. Here’s one: Sometimes the shortest path to a good idea is through a few bad ones. You think about your business all the time. But blocking out the world to actually work on a problem can be, well, you know, almost impossible. Try this. . .
Have lunch. By yourself or with a trusted advisor. Either way, all you need is a pen and pad of paper. Write one problem on the top of the page, for example: How can we increase sales in the fourth quarter? Then start writing ideas. Don’t wait for good ones, don’t judge, just start writing.
For example, let’s say one of the ideas that spilled out of your head was to give away a new Corvette with every new project. Sales would go up, but that may be the worst possible way to do it.
So, take the bad idea and ask, “If we can’t give away Corvettes, what can we give away?” Or, “How can we use Corvettes as an incentive?” Maybe it’s a weekend in a rented Corvette, or a mini-Corvette for kids.
Remember, if you can’t do something stupid to solve your problem, what slightly better idea does that lead to? Keep going until you end up with something reasonable you CAN do.
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