Creative Business Questions Can Get You Passed A Tight Budget

Sometimes it is difficult to start, no one starts at the top. Almost all of us have to overcome one major obstacle 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.

Ask yourself:

1) How can I

Another creative question starter:

2) Who could assist me with This is a great question. Who could assist me with

How about:

3) Who would exchange for ?

Here’s another one:

4) How can I do this cheaper? or How could I do this faster? or How could I do this with less effort? or How could I do this without paying? That’s a great creative question.

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’?

This next one is a great one because it puts you in the shoes of other people, someone who is thinks completely different than you.

6) How would solve this problem?

Here is an example: How would my wife solve this problem? How would my mentor, child, neighbor solve this problem? By asking yourself this question you really have to look at things from a different perspective.

I can confidently say that these questions, as well as others, have allowed my creativity to grow and have opened all kinds of opportunities up to me. The success of my career can be credited to my creative thinking.

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.

The problem was I didn’t know the first thing about being a professional speaker or building a profitable speaking business.

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

It was at one of the local meetings were I asked a gentleman, who was doing very well with his speaking career, “What did I have to do to get to where he was?” He replied by saying, “I’ll give you three things to get started on. Once you finish those come back and I’ll give you some more.” He said it would be simple, so I said, “Okay.”

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

To join CAPS the registration was $200, which was a big chunk of my budget. I remember even asking them if I could pay in smaller payments, which I did. Despite the squeeze, I joined the CAPS organization.

The second thing he said I had to do was, “Get out to the CAPS National Conference.” As much as I wanted to go, it was on the other side of Canada, which meant more costs on top of the relatively expensive conference fee. At this point everything was expensive for me as I had no money. To get there I would have to pay for my flight, accommodations and everything else.

It was at this point that I knew I had to start asking myself some creative questions. I knew I didn’t have much, but I began looking at what I did have, or could do that perhaps someone else might be interested in.

One thing I that I had at that point was time itself. Because I had just started my speaking business I wasn’t speaking very often, so I knew I had some time I could offer.

It was at this moment I asking myself, “How could I use my time to help someone else?” By answering that question I came up with, ‘Help Stu Be Like You,’ a campaign to help me get to the National Conference.

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.

No one had asked for this before. I asked a question that got everyone’s hands in the air. It was, “How many of your, at one point, started off as a speaker with no experience?”

“Awesome,” I said. “Keep your hand up if you have ever attended the CAPS national conference before.” Seventy-five percent of the group kept their hands up.

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.

I said, “Great. Because I am somebody with zero speaking experience that you just said needs to get out to that CAPS national conference.”

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 8×6 black and white flyers I had printed off at home on 8-1/2×11 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.”

As soon as I finished explaining it, a gentleman at the back of the room stood up, and he said, “Stu, I will pay for your entrance fee to the seminar.” Boom. Just like that. Half of my costs basically taken care of.

Another gentleman stood up right after him and said, “Stu, don’t worry about paying to get out there, I will take care of it.” In a matter of five minutes 85% of my expenses needed to go were taken care of.

That is what being creative can enable you to do.

That one creative solution got me out to that conference. It turned out to be a big story because all kinds of people heard about it there and I even had an article published in the national publication.

Ideas will come to you when you explore the possibilities of creativity!

Keep your eye out for more!