Your Idea Book

Solopreneurs can not become complacent in their businesses, because that can lead to the slow descent to failure.
Complacency: a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware
of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug
satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.
How can we prevent complacency allowing for ongoing improvement in our
businesses? I use an idea book and I wanted to share how you can too. So
what is an idea book.  In it’s simplest form it is a spiral notebook. But I want
to tell you how a simple spiral notebook can transform your business.
An Idea Book is simply a notebook that you use for approximately 30 minutes
each day to brainstorm. The brainstorming sessions are to identify possible
opportunities to improve your solopreneur business.
Step 1
Divide your business into the areas you wish to improve. An example might
be, customer service, merchandising, cost cutting, systems and marketing.
I have divided my notebook by area.
Step 2
Each day you spend that 10 minutes brainstorming in each area. Write down
as many ideas that come to your mind as quickly as possible without any
editing or judgments as to whether they will work or not. An example might
be in customer service I might have: customer appreciation day, customer
satisfaction survey, customer follow-up, customer thank you system, etc.
Step 3
Once every week evaluate your ideas. Sit down with your notebook and
choose at least one idea to implement, if you are feeling ambitious choose
one idea in each area.
Step 4
Identify the actions and resources needed to follow through and implement
that idea.  Then take action.
Can you imagine the impact on your business if you were improving one
area each week? At the very least this practice will keep you from becoming
complacent about your business. Go now and create your own Idea Book.
Use your Idea Book to express your decision and belief around your business.