Brainstorm 25 ways to boost profits

Many entrepreneurs can reach a point where they are simply out of ideas. You’ve been working too hard, you’re focused on other things (like your spouse threatening to leave you if you spend another evening on the laptop), or maybe you’re just in a bit of a rut.

When you get to this point, what should you do? Panic? Take a holiday?

No! You take a tip from your old pal the Taskmaster and you get your staff to do the thinking for you.

That’s right, it’s time for a brainstorming session, where everyone in your team is going to help come up with 25 new ways to boost profits.

But first, some brainstorming rules:

• Titles count for nothing – the junior staff member’s idea is just as good as yours.
• Quantity matters – when brainstorming, get lots of ideas down and then prune.
• Hold your tongue – no idea should be dismissed, at least initially.
• Write it down – don’t just have a chat, because you’ll get no results.

Sit in a big room, with lots of whiteboards, and go for it. Appoint a facilitator to keep things on track (but not the boss) and try to keep the ideas flowing for a few hours.

You might not get to 25 ideas, and they might not be big ideas, but the thing here is to have a go and get a good brainstorming process going.

Get it done – today!