Cultivating New Ideas (Part One of a Three-Part Series)
The Four Main Elements of Brainstorming
Successful businesses cultivate new and innovative ideas. From those ideas come ways to expand the business by offering new services, working more efficiently, and marketing more effectively. One way to cultivate new ideas is to brainstorm with a group of invested individuals.In a book published in 1963 entitled Applied Imagination, advertising guru Alex Osborn talks about the four elements of effective brainstorming. Osborn himself coined the term “brainstorm,” but sadly over the years many of the key components of the process as he intended it have been lost. We’ll discuss them here.
1. Focus on quantity instead of qualityThe purpose of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas as possible: the simple, the silly, the insane. All are welcome at a brainstorming session. The main objective is to generate a large quantity of ideas.2. Allow no criticismIn order to generate lots of ideas you must avoid criticism, either self or group-imposed. Regardless of how outlandish, complicated, or impossible an idea may sound, it is welcome at a brainstorming session.3. Welcome far-fetched ideasYou don’t come up with a winning idea without first promoting creativity and far-fetched thinking. From those impossible proposals come profitable innovation.4. Encourage the group to improve ideas by combining themOften the best ideas come in combining two or more ideas. Can you imagine which ideas may have been combined to create the Post-it or Tivo?
Come back next week when we’ll share tips that will enhance your brainstorming sessions.Brainstorming can be especially helpful in creating marketing strategies. If you find yourself looking for help in the marketing department we have a program that has done all the brainstorming for you, providing a turn-key marketing solution for your accounting practice.
The Universal Practice Builder (UPB) Workshop
Designed to help accounting professionals grow their practices, the UPB workshop will help you generate $30,000 more in annual billings in just 12 months. You’ll also learn 12 marketing techniques that have been proven effective for other accountants like yourself. And you’ll be taught how to generate 15 to 25 leads per month. How many brainstorming sessions do you think it would take to do all that?This 48-hour workshop is led by coaches who are both knowledgeable and engaging. In two-days you will have everything you need to grow your practice and become more profitable.
The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program
For a limited time, Universal Accounting Center is offering a special discount on this package deal: the Universal Practice Builder Workshop and the Professional Bookkeeper Program. Clients appreciate having an accountant they can trust, and you enhance your appeal when you have a professional designation that illustrates your expertise. Upon completing the PB Program not only will you have the opportunity to earn valued certification, but you will be trained in small business accounting, enabling you to widen your appeal by providing specialty services to a large niche market.Universal Accounting Center has over 25 years experience training professionals like you. They draw from this lengthy teaching experience and also qualified experience practicing to bring you the best instruction possible. Countless others have benefited from this training and are successful, self-employed accountants and tax preparers. Take advantage of this special offer and change the face of your business! We have just a few innovative ideas you’ll want to take advantage of. Order now!
