Here's how you can enhance your small business success with creative problem solving.

Try new tailored strategies and approaches. Stay flexible and adapt based on what works best for your business.. dont stick to one single approach.

Keep the discussion objection. Use these four steps, one at a time: 1) Gather all the facts available (not opinions). 2) What are the conclusions (what have you learned from the facts)? 3) List the options (decisions) that are possible. 4) Create role(s) and responsibility(s) to take appropriate actions. 5) Check on progress.

Creative problem solving starts by fostering a mindset that welcomes challenges as opportunities. Encourage your team to approach problems from different angles through techniques like brainstorming and mind mapping. Hold regular "innovation sprints" where employees collaborate to tackle specific issues. Your team will embrace change when they feel part of the solution and had the opportunity to input their opinion. One Actionable Item: Create space or platform for idea's to be heard. Review these ideas regularly and recognize contributions. By promoting a culture of creativity and open dialogue, you will cultivate innovative solutions which will drive business success that sets you apart. How have you created space for this?

Take a look at your current strategies and operations. Identify any areas that haven’t adapted to recent changes in the market. Look for one or two small changes that can be made immediately based on the team’s input. It could be as simple as updating a process or trying out a new tool that enhances productivity. Set up a system for continuous feedback. Weekly meetings, an anonymous suggestion box etc, where employees can share ideas on an ongoing basis.

Technological changes affect every business in one aspect or another. Your choice is to adapt and improvise, or be left behind.

Ask Why: When a problem arises, use the "5 Whys" technique to drill down to the root cause. Define the problem Why is it happening? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Before solving any problem you have to identify that issue, recognize it’s a problem and then seek new to you solutions. Rarely are problems unique to you. In all probability, someone else has faced that problem and resolved it. Rather than searching for your own solution, first seek others experiences.

When it comes to issues, my #1 question is: how does to relate to client experience. I will then weigh the decisions against how it will affect my clients overall quality of life then I bring cost effectiveness into the mix. However, it is a fine line between time and cost efficiency; dialing in the right formula for all my process and procedures has been the key to creating a valuable experience for my clients while providing a less stressful environment within my ERP systems.

From my experience, the heart of creative problem-solving in a small business is idea generation. Foster an environment where all suggestions are welcomed and considered. Encourage your team to brainstorm without judgment, as this often leads to unexpected and innovative solutions. Remember, quantity breeds quality in brainstorming, so aim for a large number of ideas. Later, you can sift through and select the most promising ones for implementation.

For clients: I send out a mass email to my client list each year inquiring about ideas of change. These can range from pricing all the way to what kind of refreshments we provide and even what wax melt scents they want to smell. This opens the doors for my clients (who range from all walks of life) to feel comfortable enough to suggest quality of life improvements. For employees: I provide a Trello account for every employee and a white board to every station for independent project creation/stimulation. If you can better streamline how we deliver recurring payment invoices or have a more concise/funnier template for our IRS acceptance emails, I will implement the ideas into my systems, so long as it doesn't take away from the efficiency.

Assess the resources (time, money, personnel) needed for each solution. Evaluate potential risks/rewards. Prioritize solutions with high benefits and manageable risks. Identify solutions that can be implemented immediately for quick impact.

From my experience, even the best ideas are meaningless without effective implementation. Planning the rollout is as important as the solution itself. Set clear goals, assign responsibilities, and establish timelines. Communication is crucial—everyone involved should understand their role in the process. A well-executed implementation plan ensures the solution integrates smoothly into your business operations, leading to improved results.

Being a mentor and having a mentor are great tools. So often, we think from "an island mentality". Just think, if we could all share our successes as well as our challenges we wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel. Its already been done! Let's help each other as often as we can.

Not all solutions work as planned. Life isn’t that simple. Try a solution and then see how well it works. It is often an ongoing trial and error process.