Need to get creative? Try these expert tips and tricks

Coming up with ideas – and making them happen – is what gives startups the edge on corporates. But even in nimble small businesses creativity can be tough to engineer.

Whether you’re running a one-man-band or have a team of workers to consult, there are specific challenges to creativity in a small enterprise. In our live Q&A on creativity in business we discussed how to overcome these.

The first question was on how to cultivate a culture of innovation in an organisation, and the challenges in doing so.

Sarah King, founder of innovation consultancy We Are Unstuck, said she encourages employees to play to their strengths and to experiment. “Each week we have two collaboration times when we’re all in the office [...] it usually involves discussing a new idea, building a prototype, designing a workshop for a client,” she added.

Meanwhile, Natalie Campbell, co-founder of A Very Good Company, offered three steps to making your small business innovative. “Define what you mean by innovation,” she said. For example, in some industries it will be linked to designing new products, in others it will revolve around a bold, entrepreneurial mindset. She suggested finding a challenge to test new recruits’ skills.

Next, she advised, “make innovation real” – in other words, create an office environment where workers have space to think and that is bright and modern. Lastly, she said to reward innovation. Share examples with your staff of where an idea has worked well and any lessons learned from mistakes. “You must have a positive approach to things not working,” she added.

Sean Carney, head of direct commercial for Hiscox UK and Ireland, explained how it can be approached in a bigger company. “We have created a team called ‘Futures’ that looks at how we can be better,” he said. Like Campbell, he advised an open-minded approach to mistakes. “Some things will not work, but it’s important to have the courage to [try] and to show your team that sometimes it’s ok to fail.”

The panel were also asked to share their favourite techniques for finding ideas. Rikke Rosenlund, founder of BorrowMyDoggy, explained her approach, which centres on a brainstorm at the weekly staff meeting. “One team member generally presents a challenge, and then the rest of the team works in small groups (two to three people) for three to five minutes to come up with ideas. At the end everyone shares what they have come up with. The aim is to do them quickly.”

King, meanwhile, acknowledged that brainstorming is often criticised, but that this is mostly due to poor execution. It can be effective when done well, she said. “One of the most simple techniques is to pose a question, give people the time and space to ponder it and then tip out their initial ideas. From here you can start to develop and strengthen these early ideas.”

Katie Cannon, head of business strategy at mouldable glue company Sugru, said it looks to its customers for ways to improve. “We make sure we genuinely listen to them, because we know they often come up with the best ideas.”

Campbell took a different tack. She said: “My new favourite way to come up with ideas is all about activity – walking meetings, running with the team or in the gym.”

This fed into another reader’s question: “how do you boost creativity if you’re a one man band?”

Sara Gordon, brand and creative director at flower delivery business Bloom and Wild, said: “Drop people that inspire you a message on LinkedIn or Twitter and ask for help.” She added that accelerator programmes offer a community for lone entrepreneurs to source, and seek feedback on, ideas.

King shared her approach when she first set up her business. “Going to meet-ups, creating a personal board of trusted advisors, spending time reading, watching, listening to fresh new content from a variety of sources have all helped,” she said. “Being a one person business can afford you the luxury of reflecting and thinking time – building this into your schedule will also fuel your creativity.”

Campbell said she works from a member’s club twice a week where she meets up with other freelance friends. “We spend the morning helping each other with new ideas, business pitches and general sanity checks. It’s my most productive time of the week.”

Productive and innovative businesses will always look to where there’s a gap in the market. Many will tweak their business offering, or pivot it completely, according to that gap. The panel were asked if they had seen any successful examples of a business pivot. Carney recalled a technology contractor. “The demand for his services outstripped his time so he started passing work over to other sub contractors. When the demand continued to grow he pivoted his business into a IT consultant recruitment firm.”

Rosenlund added: “Listening to customers needs and wants is key to a successful pivot – and to making a company successful.”

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