Creative Business Questions Can Get You Passed A Tight Budget

Creative Business Questions Can Get You Passed A Tight Budget
It doesn't matter who you are, every entrepreneur has the same obstacle to overcome in the beginning.

The obstacle for many people is getting their business marketed on a tight budget. Being creative can help you get through on a tight budget and by answering some of these creative questions you can learn how to do it.

Questions like:

1) How could I...

Another creative question starter:

2) Who could help me with I love that one. Who could help me with

What about this one:

3) Who might exchange for ?

What about this one:

4) How can I do this faster, with less effort, cheaper? Could I do this for free?

Try this one:

5) How could I substitute 'XYZ' for 'ABC'? How could I substitute 'X' for 'Y'? Or whatever you want to do. What could I substitute for 'XYZ'?

Here's another one that I love. This really puts you in the shoes of unique and different people.

6) How would solve this problem?

A good example: How would my mentor solve this problem? How would my four year-old daughter solve this problem? It's a great question because it forces you to think from a different perspective.

I've answered these business questions myself and it has allowed doors to open in every direction, propelling my career to new heights and success to be and continued to be achieved.

Let me give you a small example about how I used this creative way of questioning.

I decided to become a professional speaker as soon as I was done University. My focus was speaking to college and high school students about the topic of creativity. I focused on creativity because with it I was able to move from a first year failure in University to graduating being named Most Outstanding Male with straight A's. I changed a lot between how I did things in first year to my last year, and I credit a lot of it to learning something I had become very passionate about, creative thinking.

Even though I had decided that this is what I wanted to do, I had no idea about becoming a professional speaker, or if I could turn it into a profitable business.

To try and learn the ropes I joined an organization called CAPS, The Canadian Association for Professional Speakers.

At one of my first meetings I attended I approached a gentleman there who was doing very well with his speaking career about what I needed to do to get to his level. He replied by saying. "It's very simple, Stu. I'll give you three things to do, once you have those finished, come back and I'll give you some more."

"Number one," he began, "You should join CAPS. By surrounding yourself with like minded people in your industry it will help your business grow."

In order to join CAPS it cost $200, which at that time was a squeeze. Thinking back on it I remember paying for it on payments in order to be able to do it. I did number though, I joined CAPS.

He continued saying, "The second thing you have to do is get to the CAPS National Conference" At this point I thought to myself, 'How am I going to do that? The conference that year was being held on the other side of Canada. With the seminar being pretty expensive itself, plus traveling costs, it was really expensive. I had no money, so everything at that point was expensive for me

I needed to find a creative solution. Here's what I did. I asked myself some creative questions. What I started to do was look at what I had that, perhaps, somebody might need and want.

At this point I wasn't speaking very often because I had just started my speaking business. This allowed me to have time. Time to be able to do other things for someone else.

Then I started to say, "Okay, how could I use my time to benefit somebody else?" From that question I came up with a campaign, and I called it Help Stu Be Like You.

This is how I used that creative idea to my advantage. I went to the largest chapter of CAPS in my province, which consisted of about 75 people and asked for 30 seconds in front of the whole group.

This was something that nobody had ever asked for. While up there I said, "How many of you, at one point, started off as a speaker with no experience?" Of course everybody's hands went up in the air.

I said, "Great. How many of you have attended the CAPS national conference before?" And about 75% of the room had their hands up in the air.

I continued, "With experiencing the national conference, how many of you with your hands up belief that it would be beneficial for somebody with zero experience to go to?" Everyone who had been kept their hands up.

"Great, I am someone who needs to get out to the CAPS national conference because I have zero speaking experience!"

But then I gave them my situation. I said, "I have a problem though. I don't have any money. The one thing I do have though is time. That is why I have created a campaign called, 'Help Stu Be Like You.' Basically I am willing to make an exchange and I'm hoping you will too." I passed out 8x6 black and white flyers I had printed off at home on 8-1/2x11 sheets to save costs. I made sure everyone in the audience got one.

I began to explain my campaign. "This is what I am willing to do. Anything that you as speakers don't like doing, don't have time to do, or just need an extra pair of hands to do, I will do it. Sales calls, creating sales letters, licking stamps, anything. I will even come to your house and cut your lawn or wipe your baby's bottom if that's what you want me to do. All I'm asking in return is a financial contribution of your choice."

Surveying the audience at this point, I could tell some people's minds were racing with all the odd jobs they could get me to do for cheap.

I finished up by saying, "Whatever you don't like doing I will do, in exchange for an financial contribution of your choice. Everything I make from this campaign will go directly towards getting me out to the CAPS national conference."

I finished explaining my campaign and immediately a gentleman at the back of the room stood up. He said, "Stu, I will pay for your entrance fee to the seminar." Just like that, half of my costs were taken care of!

Immediately following that, another gentleman stood up and he said, "Stu, and I will pay for the cost to get you out there." Boom, boom. Eighty-five percent of all of my expenses were taken care of just like that.

My friends, it's all about being creative.

By asking myself that one creative question, I was able to come up with a creative solution that solved my problem of not being able to get to the national conference. By the time the conference happened all kinds of people had heard about my story and even had a story published about me in the national publication.

Always remember to explore your creativity and may ideas come to you when you need them the most.

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