Creativity and Innovation How to Expand my Small Business with Creative Problem-Solving

CREATIVITY AND

INNOVATION





HOW TO EXPAND MY

SMALL BUSINESS WITH


CREATIVE PROBLEM-

SOLVING






JANIS CORNELIUS
CRTV 302-900
PROFESSOR REISMAN

INTRODUCTION









The ability to think creatively when problem solving opens many
doors to different possibilities for solutions to challenges but
thinking creatively does not come easy to some people.

In this course, I have learned many ways to approach problems
with fun activities that help you engage in creative approaches to
problem solving.


When you shift your perspective and view challenges through a
creative lens, things change dramatically. You find yourself looking
at things differently and you, yourself, are different and how you
see challenges is different.




“The real mark of the creative person is that the unforeseen problem
is a joy and not a curse,” –Norman H. Mackworth (Herrmann,
1993, p. 275)

IN THIS PRESENTATION, I WILL GO INTO



DETAIL THE CHALLENGES I FACE IN MY


SMALL BUSINESS OF BUS CONVERSION.










I will discuss


 Content covered in this course


 How I plan to implement activities to help me generate innovative ideas and
creative problem-solving.


 How readings and learning about various tools and techniques in creativity
have helped me gain important insights and make connections that can help

me achieve my personal goal of growing my bus conversion business.

OVERVIEW








This paper will be based on my

own personal experiences and the
many different approaches I have

learned to help my business reach

an optimal success.


The two problems this paper will
focus on are the following:


1) How can I expand my

business?


2) How can I be better prepared

to think creatively?

ESTABLISHING THE “NEED”








When starting up a business, a crucial issue regarding its success is

determining the ‘need’.


In identifying a need, we create our starting point. In The Idea Agent, we
learned how to achieve your goals by defining your area of focus and

understanding the consumer needs/services your business meets. The

broader the scope is, the more difficult it will be to achieve these goals.


“The more factors included in the question, the more questions will form in

the minds of team members, which will weaken the power of the idea and
the focus will be lost.” (Michanek & Breiler, 2014 p. 54)


This is a very important point.


Keeping this in mind makes it easier to manage the creative process and

helps identify solutions that are actually possible to implement.

THE CHALLENGE OF STAYING RELEVANT














In order to expand my business, I need to be able to think creatively to

ensure that my business is and remains relevant.


The ability to think creatively when problem solving opens many doors to

different possibilities for solutions to challenges but thinking creatively does
not come easy to some people.


In this course, I have learned many ways to approach problems with fun

activities that help you engage in creative approaches to problem solving.


Utilizing the ThinkerToy activities enables you tap into your creative abilities

to help find a variety of approaches for problem solving.

WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS CONSTANTLY
CHANGING AND WE OFTEN FIND IT DIFFICULT IN
STAYING RELEVANT.






Change happens inevitably, but in order to adjust

and adapt quickly, we must anticipate change and
monitor signals of change frequently.


“If you do not change, you can become extinct.”
(Johnson, 1998, p. 46).


For a business to thrive, we must be on top of new

trends in our field and continuously learning and
evolving. We need to be able to use creative

approaches in order to find innovative solutions.

If we intellectualize “purposeful play” we profit by

gaining more knowledge and making new
discoveries that can lead us to innovative solution.

CLEVER TREVOR








The “Clever Trevor” thinkertoy activity
was one that really stood out to me
because I feel this one could help me
significantly.





“Clever Trevor” discusses how many
people strive to become experts in
their field because that is what is
expected of them, but in doing so, we

are unintentionally putting up ‘barriers’
in our mind. We begin thinking of
things in a linear fashion and limit many
potential possibilities.

CLEVER TREVOR





This exercise involves knocking
down those barriers by asking the

opinions of others outside of your
field. Experts in their field tend to
overthink problems, because they

develop an illusion that there are
only so many different realistic

answers creating a mental block.

When people don’t have much

knowledge of a situation, they have
a better ability of snapping to the

first thing that comes to mind
since they don’t feel as though

they’re stuck in the situation.

They can look at a problem with

an open mind and after all, that is
the key to tapping into our
creativity!

CREATIVE DO’S AND DON’TS








The Idea Agent’s Creative Do’s and Don’ts which

helps let go of inhibition and helps you develop
new methods and perspectives.


For example, one of the ‘Do’s” is Just Shoot! that

emphasizes how we automatically have ‘mental

policeman’ that stop us from sharing some ideas
that we feel won’t be popular or supported.


It is important to establish a safe non-judgmental

environment that is open to these ‘unfiltered’ ideas.

TUG OF WAR











Thinkertoy’s “Tug of War” activity is extremely helpful
when you want to get a better visualization of your

strengths and weaknesses.


It is a technique allows you to better determine your

challenges and create more positive forces.






This approach allows me to more clearly define my
challenges so I can find an effective solution. When I

exercised this activity, I began by listing my strengths

and weaknesses so I could figure out how I can

maximize my strengths and minimize my weaknesses.

IDEA BOX




The “Idea Box” activity is something I can utilize to help
me visualize different combinations of options. In the text,
they give us the example of cards and suits and the

different variations of the cards comes up with a vast
amount of possibilities. “By coming up with different
combinations of the variations of the parameters, you
create new ideas.” (Michalko, M. 2006, p. 117).

Using a systematic, structured approach such as the “Idea

Box” could greatly help me in my business because it can
help me find a flow of possible ideas more easily,
especially in terms of interior and exterior decorations
or styles for bus conversion.

Although my first original thought was to use this activity

for different designs and appearances purposes, I could
also utilize this exercise to help compare different
methods or materials in relation to price and efficiency. I
like this activity so much because it really opens you up
to such a wide variety of possibilities! After being able to

visualize all the different options, I can better determine
which option is the best for a given project.

IS THAT A YELLOW OR BLUE QUESTION?






Another helpful tool I plan to utilize in the future is ‘color

questioning’. “Is That a Yellow or Blue Question?” thinkertoy
seems like a good tool to help you organize your
priorities. It is easy to get overwhelmed when you are

dealing with multiple issues you would like to work on.
This activity can help me prioritize my problems or tasks I
wish to accomplish. It helps me focus my energies and
limited resources on high priority challenges.


If one issue come up, I can ‘color code’ it. This activity
suggests labeling neutral or objective questions/issues as

yellow. Green question would signify creative questions.
Blue labels positive and hopeful questions while the color
black labels negative questions such as “what cannot be

done?” While working on bus conversions, a lot of issues
come up for each project. It can be overwhelming,
especially when starting from scratch on a project.

DA VINCI’S


TECHNIQUE




The “Da Vinci’s Technique” in
Thinkertoys is another activity I will

definitely utilize for the current and
future challenges.


This technique stood out to me
because it involves looking at a clear

overview of a problem and seeing
the ‘big picture’ of your situation

and then sketching out what you
see.


I think this activity struck a chord
with me because when I was

younger, I would love drawing
landscapes. My family’s house is on
the bottom of a hill and I would

climb to the top of the hill and draw
the landscape I saw in front of me.

DA VINCI’S TECHNIQUE




The idea of sketching out your challenged as a landscape was very appealing to
me and I think this could be an effective way for me to find solutions to
problems now and in the future. I tend to sketch things that I think would work
while building.


When I face an issue with the features in my project, I try to create a prototype
of something that would be functional in a bus. It helps me visualize it and then

create a tangible result. The “Da Vinci’s Technique” requires you to review a
challenge you are working on by using ‘mind’s eye’ and relax in order to tap into
your intuition and creativity.


I think relaxation is an important part and helps you tap into your creative
ability. Since learning about this technique, I have remembered how in the past
just as I was dozing off to sleep, an idea would come to me.





“I shut my eyes in order to see.”— Paul Gamarin

THINK BUBBLES







When I sketched out my own ‘think bubbles’, I
chose words related to marketing my tiny
homes and bus conversions and started thinking
of how I can expand my audience which would
lead to a larger customer base.
Social media has had a major impact on our
business already, but I wanted to come up with
ideas to use it more effectively to broaden our
reach to potential customers.
As I was mapping the bubbles, I could see how
we could have multiple approaches for telling
our story and connecting to customers: 1)
Design and Build: streaming start to finish the
metamorphosis of the bus conversion, 2) Travel:
streaming the comfort and adventure of
traveling in a converted bus, 3) Lifestyle: Day-to-
day comradery with others enjoying the same
converted bus lifestyle.

THINK BUBBLES = THINK PIECES







According to Michalko, M. (2006), writing down thoughts or ‘think pieces’, we
can start creating maps that help us generate potential ideas.


“Mapping a challenge or an idea allows you access to a certain mental spark: It
flares up in the mind, it is conducted to the hand, flows to the paper, and bursts
into a tiny fire that, when seen, closes the circle by traveling back into the eye

and farther into the subconscious.” (Michalko, 2006, p. 71)

I plan to keep my think bubbles and keep adding to them and by doing so, I will
be adding ‘fuel to the smolder’ and will potentially come up with a blazing idea!


Additionally, putting these ‘think pieces’ down on paper allows the process to
become iterative over time, evolving as new information becomes available.

Another benefit of these activities is you are more likely to remember them
since you have written them down.

BRUTETHINK








“Brutethink” provokes random stimulation of the creative
process by forcing a connection between two unrelated

thoughts or concepts in order to inspire a new idea.

This technique is a more forceful approach to creativity,
but I think can really be helpful when you are mentally

stuck in a situation. I have tried this method when trying
to connect ‘bed’ and ‘closet’.


Because comfort and storage are both crucial aspects in
my small business, it is essential that I make both key
selling items in each of my projects. One connection I

can make is creating a system where there is storage
underneath the bedding area. I can engineer a mattress
lift so customers can easily access their belongings that
are stored away.

The Idea Agent’s “Forced Combinations” goes together nicely with “Brutethink”

in that they both force you to create new connection with existing features and
try to combine them in new and innovative ways.

Both of these exercises will prove very helpful to me when trying to create an

environment with the features of a normal house, but with the limited square
footage of one. Using forced combinations and random stimulation, I can utilize
all the floor space to enhance the sense of space in my bus conversions.


Designing with a sense of space, I will be able to create an environment in
which people will be able to move for easily from one utilization of space to

FORCED another because of dual-functional features. In essence, this will create the
feeling of space for the buyer.
COMBINATIONS

HOW CAN I EXPAND MY TARGET AUDIENCE?











Chapter 15 of Thinkertoy’s provokes you to consider what your
business is and how your business define should itself. Most
businesses are defined according to its products or services,
market, functions, or technologies. These are called the business
‘variables’. (Michalko, 2006, p. 145).

This exercise asks you to list key words for the business under
each variable: product, functions, markets, technologies, and
services.

The process of creating a key word index allows us to organize
our product features and create a comprehensive visual
representation of options available. It is an effective technique to
generate new ideas.





And to target your audience.

ROLE PLAYING







Another ‘role play’ scenario I imagined was being
someone who travels often for their work. How could I
make my product appeal to someone who works on the

road?





A bus conversion could be a game changer to someone
like this and giving them an alternative to resorting to
expensive hotel rooms, while still providing them work

space.

Practicing this exercise, I realized how much I pulled from

the 10 Types of Innovation we’ve learned.

Picturing myself as my customer and understanding their
wants and needs in a product helps me accomplish this

goal.

TARGETING MILLENNIALS








In my case, this exercise can help me expand my
visualization of what my business can be which will
expand the markets that I can target.


For example, how can I better reach millennials?

Almost 80% of millennials would like to visit all 50 states

and just under 50% “would be more willing to make a
purchase from a company if their purchase from a
company supports a cause.” (MillennialMarketing.com, ⁋
6)


Using a strategic marketing campaign that highlights the
ease and comfort of traveling in the converted bus while
also operating in a sustainable manner with a small

environmental footprint, could be effective in connection
my product with this group.

WHAT IF?







I’ve tried Michanek and Breiler’s ‘What If?’ exercise and found that it really

helped me open my eyes to the perspectives of other people.





For example, when seeking to identify how can I make my product attractive to

a wide range of individuals, I can use the ‘What If?’ approach.


If I wish to target retirees who are looking to travel, I might consider making the
features in the bus a certain way to meet their needs—what if I do ‘x’?


If I make the assumption that people who have reached or are approaching their

retirement most likely looking for a home that will be more accessible to them
as they age with universal design features as well as light weight and durable

‘convertible’ furniture that requires very little muscle strength to use.

DEFINING MY BUSINESS










Chapter 15 of Thinkertoy’s provokes you to consider
what your business is and how your business define

should itself. Most businesses are defined according to

its products or services, market, functions, or
technologies.






These are called the business ‘variables’. (Michalko, 2006,

p. 145).





This exercise asks you to list key words for the business under each variable: product, functions, markets, technologies,

and services. The process of creating a key word index allows us to organize our product features and create a

comprehensive visual representation of options available. It is an effective technique to generate new ideas.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

EVERY FAILURE IS A
LESSON


It is easy for us to feel discourage
when we face issues or problems.


Often the challenge may seem so big

that it does not seem possible that it
can be overcome.


There are many inspiring people
who have achieved great success

never gave up in the face of their
problems and were persistent in

their goals. Notables include Steve
Jobs, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, J.K.
Rowling (author of Harry Potter),

Huda Kattan and Oprah Winfrey.


A common element in their success
stories is that they had a goal and
did not give up.

CHAPTER 8





It’s easy to feel discouraged when our
endeavors are not successful and
unfortunately, it is far easier to give up
than roll up your sleeves to begin
again.

We can feel overwhelmed when trying
to get to the finish line.

Whatever challenges we may endure,
we are not the first to experience
these kinds of encounters. In any great
accomplishment, there will be struggles
and obstacles that need to be
overcome.

Anyone who has ever accomplished
something great has most likely failed
many times before reaching success.




They persevered.

GRIT






I recently watched a video presentation by psychologist

Angela Duckworth in which she talked about Grit.


She says that “Grit is the passion and

perseverance for very long–term goals. Grit is
having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future,

day in, day out. Not just for the week, not just

for the month but for years and working really

hard to make that future a reality… It is
constancy of effort over time” (Duckworth, 2013).


In her view, grit is described as a mental toughness that

gets stronger when used, much like weight lifting to

build muscle strength. She goes on to say that grit is a

stronger predictor of success and the ability to reach
one’s goals than is talent.

PERSEVERANCE









The notion of grit underscores the value of a sustained creative
process over time.

“For many people nowadays, the most important thing in
life is daring to live one’s ideas and dreams and achieving
self-fulfillment. To have a dream, and idea ad realize it—
TO CREATE.” (Michanek & Breiler, 2014, p. 97).

Whenever any of us feel discouraged or defeated, we should
remind ourselves of this part of our readings as well as
Duckworth’s notion of grit and how that can be developed over
time.

As Thomas Carlyle once said, “Nothing stops the man who
desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to
develop his achievement muscle. It’s a strengthening of
his powers of accomplishment.” (Thomas Carlyle Quotes,

n.d., ⁋ 1)

CONCLUSION






In this paper, I discussed the

challenges I face in my small
business of bus conversion.


I reviewed how I have applied

or plan to apply the strategies

we learned about in this
course. As described, I have

begun to implement activities

to help me generate innovative

ideas and creative problem-
solving to grow my business.


The techniques that we have

explored throughout this

course have helped me
develop my creative thinking

skills.

CONCLUSION





So, my plan of action is first and

foremost—to persevere.

I will begin spreading awareness of

what my small business entails. I
plan to continue using social media

as access to connect with potential
buyers and continue to follow new

trends that attract my audience.

I plan to pay attention to what is

being posted on social media.

By keeping up to date with popular

trends, trending topics in social
media and also utilizing helpful

Thinkertoys such as forced
combinations and think bubble, I

can form new and innovative ideas.

CONCLUSION






Reading Tinkertoy’s and The Idea Agent has really opened my eyes to all the

different kinds of perspectives we can have.


Through exploring the exercises in these texts, I found the experiments the

authors provides to be very engaging and thought provoking.


The authors points out how we only ‘see’ so much and how we are
influenced by our expectations and assumptions of what we should see.


We often fill in gaps and limit ourselves to other possible viewpoints.


Taking a step back and taking in other perspectives, we open the door to

many different possibilities and generate new solutions in a creative and

innovative way.

REFERENCES









Alton, L. (2018). How to gain Millennial customers: 6 things they want trom your brand, Available from

https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/06/what-millennials-want.html


Duckworth, Angela (2013) What is grit? Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkoe1e2KZJs


Duckworth, A. (2013) Grit: The power of passion and perseverance Available from

https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en


Herrmann, N. (1993) The creative brain. Tennessee: The Ned Herrmann Group.


Johnson, S. (1998) Who Moved My Cheese? an amazing way to deal with change in your work


and in your life. New York: Putnam.


Maxwell, J. C. (2009). How successful people think: Change your thinking, change your life.


New York: Center Street.

MillennialMarketing.com (n.d.) Who are millennials, Available from http://www.millennialmarketing.com/who-are-

millennials/


Michalko, M. (2006) Thinkertoys, 2nd Ed. Ten Speed Press, Berkley: CA.


Michanek, J. & Breiler, A. (2014) The Idea Agent, 2nd Ed. Routledge, New York: NY.


Tama- Rutigliano, K. (2017) Five things you need to know about marketing to Baby Boomers, Forbes Communications

Council, Available from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/09/26/five-things-you-need-
to-know-about-marketing-to-baby-boomers/#305258a24e55


Thomas Carlyle Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from BrainyQuote.com Web site:

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_carlyle_120878