Happy New and Creative Year!!!
Please send me any comments or suggestions that you have.
Pleasant reading,
Amir
In this issue:
(a) Special New Years offer
(b) Creative ideas for...
(c) Creative tool - "Non-Customers"
(d) New on Best100Ideas.com
(e) Recommendation of the month
(a) Special Offer for Issue 12!
We have completed 12 issues of The Creative Ideas Newsletter. To celebrate this and the New Year of 2007 we are offering exclusively to the readers of this newsletter this special offer:
If you buy the "50 Creative Ideas Service" for $50, on any subject that you choose, you get the "100 Creative Presentation Ideas" E-book as a free bonus (now worth $19.95).
For more information:
Buy the 50 Creative Ideas Service
or
Contact Us
(b) Creative Ideas for Business Cards
Business cards are one of the most common and seemingly un-creative communication tools in today's business world. This is exactly why you can make your business cards stand-out, and make an extraordinary and lasting impression compared to the competition for attention.
Also, advanced printing and design techniques are found in most printing houses, and their cost is more than reasonable.
Here are some ideas to get your business card the attention it deserves!
- Cards as collectible items: Print a "series" of business cards. The entire series would have the same basic information on your business and contact details. However, you should create some 10-20 variations of the cards, and encourage clients, suppliers, partners, etc. to collect these as they would collect other collectible items. Each variation of the card could highlight a different product or service that you sell, could include a different image, a new success story, a quote related to your business or market, an so on. You might also offer a prize for those who manage to collect the full series (and make some variations of the cards more rare and harder to obtain).
- Cards supporting your chosen charity: Social awareness is a growing concern of businesses world-wide. It is also recognized as an important part of public-relations efforts. Why not show your concern for good causes on your business cards as well? You could print on the back of the cards a sentence such as "We support the [your chosen charity] fund. Join us - call this number to donate...".
- "Client in the center": Many businesses claim to place their concerns for their client's needs in the center. You could emphasize such a message if you leave room in the center of your business card, and fill-in the clients name and company before handing them their personalized and client-focused version of your business card. This could be integrated, for example, in your job title - e.g. "David Brooks, Client Manager for Palmer Enterprises, Inc." (blue emphasized part is filled in by hand).
- Cards with basic tools of trade: Many professions have basic tools of the trade. Architects use rulers and measure angles, bankers calculate interest rates, tailors write down various measurements, etc. You could include some of these basic tools on your business cards (perhaps on its back-side). The best approach would be to identify and design a simple and reusable tool, that may be used often by the person you give the card to. This would make them look at your card and use it time and time again. They would also associate future needs related to that line of work with that tool on the card and with your name.
(c) Creative Tool: The "Non-Customers"
This tool is based on the revolutionary strategic approach described in one of the most important business books of recent years - "Blue Ocean Strategy", by Kim & Mauborgne. In this book, thinking of the "non-customers" is part of a comprehensive and complete new way to formulate business strategy and innovation. However, I have "downsized" this concept into a smaller-scope tool for creative ideas. Of course, if you are serious about making a strategic change for your business, you should read their book and perhaps use experienced consultants to implement this strategy. If, on the other hand, you just want a small taste of the power of this way of thinking, begin by using the tool described below.
I have chosen to demonstrate the use of the tool on the following "product" - an Internet website. Seemingly, there is a website for almost anything these days.
The example tries to offer new uses for websites that
are innovative and never before seen on the web...
Here is how this tool can be used:
- List existing customers: Choose the market or product type you would like to deal with, and list the types of customers which normally use this type of product or service. List several groups of customers, until you feel you've covered the majority of the market.
Example (websites): those who use website include - organizations, business people and professionals, student and teachers, researchers, children, writers, shoppers, travelers and tourists...
- Search for non-customers: This involves finding potential customers that at the moment do not use the product or service, and do not form a part of the market. This may include groups that for some limiting reason can not access that service, or users that in a certain situation are unable to use that product or service.
Example (websites): Animals (there are website for animal owners, but hardly any for the animals themselves...); Blind people (there are some website that are accessible to the blind, but none that are just for the blind); People who are asleep (people don't surf the net when they are sleeping, do they?).
- Choose one type of "non-customers" and design your product/service just for them: The choice is a critical one. The group should make up a good market - it has to be big enough and if you are interested in profits, should have sufficient resources to be able to pay for the services and enable future income. The second part of this step is also tricky - if it has never been done before, service this unorthodox group of customers should pose quite a challenge. Find creative and appropriate ways to do so - and you've gained to trust and loyalty of these customers.
Example (website for people who are sleeping): What do sleeping people want and need? Perhaps they need a website that collects information of their choice while they sleep and displays a summary of it as they wake up. Or, they might also want a website that enable them to pretend they were awake and communicate with other people while they can go on sleeping. They might be interested in a website that somehow monitors their sleep (with connected electrodes, maybe), and makes sure that it is calm, or plays relaxing music in their ears after they've fallen asleep, or even monitors their dreams and offers an explanation of the meanings of the dreams.
I have added a new Creativity Links page to the website.
It includes only my most favorite and highly recommended links that will enable you to explore the subjects of creative ideas, creativity tools, innovation techniques etc.
So, if Best100ideas.com is just your starting point for learning about creativity, check out my recommended creativity links page.
I like this website's design and usability. It is not specifically related to creativity, but I find the idea and the solution innovative. Also, it seems that a growing community of creative people (painters, photographers, etc.) are using it to share there creativity with others.
E-snips is a web 2.0 service that enables you to upload almost anything you like and share it with anyone or with a group of friends and family that you define. You can tag the this that you upload, look at other people's stuff, and even sell your stuff using e-snips.
I, for instance, have started 2 public folders on e-snips. The first is Pdf versions of articles from Best100Ideas.com, and the other is of painting by my talented wife, Paula Elion. You are welcome to check these out and send me your own e-snips...
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