Small Business Support For Those On A Tight Budget

by: StuMcLaren
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Word Count: 1309

Sometimes it is difficult to start, no one starts at the top. Almost all of us have to overcome one major obstacle in the beginning.


To get past the obstacle of having a tight budget to begin with you really have to learn how to market yourself creatively by asking yourself some simple creative questions.


Questions such as:


1) How can I


A different question to get started with:


2) If I needed help with (blank) this person could help me. This is a fantastic question to remember.


Here's another one:


3) Who do I know that would exchange for ?


Here's another one:


4) Could I do this cheaper? or How would I be able to do this faster? or Could I do it with less effort? or Is there a way to do this for free? That question will really get your creative juices going.


Here's another one:


5) What can I substitute for 'X'? Could I substitute 'XYZ' for 'ABC'? Just think about whatever you could, or want to change.


This next one is a great one because it puts you in the shoes of other people, someone who is thinks completely different than you.


6) If I was so-and-so, how would I solve this problem?


Here is an example: How would my wife solve this problem? How would my mentor, child, neighbor solve this problem? By asking yourself this question you really have to look at things from a different perspective.


I've answered these business questions myself and it has allowed doors to open in every direction, propelling my career to new heights and success to be and continued to be achieved.


I'll show you an example of how I used this method of creative questioning to help me.


As soon as I graduated University I decided that I wanted to become a professional speaker instead of working within a corporation. My focus was college and high school students, which I still do talks for on occasion, to teach them the importance of creativity. Creativity had helped me rise from being a University failure in my first year to graduating with straight A's, and being names Most outstanding Male. The transformation that occurred between my first and fourth year I owe to learning the skill of creative thinking.


Being a professional speaker and building a profitable speaking business was two things I didn't know anything about though.


The first thing I did was join the local chapter of CAPS, The Canadian Association for Professional Speakers.


I remember going to one of the local chapter meetings and there was one guy there that was doing very well in his speaking career and I asked him, "What do I need to do to get to your level?" And he said, "Well Stu, it's very simple. I'm going to give you three things to do. When you've done all three, then come back to me and I'll give you some more." I said, "Okay."


"The first thing you need to do is surround yourself with people who are in the same industry as yourself. Join CAPS, it will help your business grow." I said, "Okay."


In order to join CAPS it cost $200, which at that time was a squeeze. Thinking back on it I remember paying for it on payments in order to be able to do it. I did number though, I joined CAPS.


He continued saying, "The second thing you have to do is get to the CAPS National Conference" At this point I thought to myself, 'How am I going to do that? The conference that year was being held on the other side of Canada. With the seminar being pretty expensive itself, plus traveling costs, it was really expensive. I had no money, so everything at that point was expensive for me


It was at this point that I knew I had to start asking myself some creative questions. I knew I didn't have much, but I began looking at what I did have, or could do that perhaps someone else might be interested in.


At this point I wasn't speaking very often because I had just started my speaking business. This allowed me to have time. Time to be able to do other things for someone else.


I started to then rack my brain about how I could use that time to benefit someone else. By asking myself that question I came up with a campaign called, 'Helt Stu Be Like You.'


This is how I used that creative idea to my advantage. I went to the largest chapter of CAPS in my province, which consisted of about 75 people and asked for 30 seconds in front of the whole group.


This was something new to them, no one had asked for that before. I got up in front of everyone and asked them, "When you started off as a speaker, how many of you had no experience?" With no surprise, everybody's hands went up in the air.


I said, "Great. How many of you have attended the CAPS national conference before?" And about 75% of the room had their hands up in the air.


I continued, "With experiencing the national conference, how many of you with your hands up belief that it would be beneficial for somebody with zero experience to go to?" Everyone who had been kept their hands up.


My reply was, "Great. Well I am somebody that obviously needs to go to the CAPS national conference because I have zero experience."


I continued by saying, "But, here is where I run into difficulty. I don't have any money, just time. Here is the exchange I am willing to make and I hope you are to. 'Help Stu Be Like You' is a campaign that I have created." At this point I handed out a small flyer to everyone in the audience. It basically was a 8x6 black and white flyer that I had printed at home on 8-1/2 x 11 sheets and cut down the middle to save on costs.


I continued to explain what my campaign was about, "This is what I am willing to do. I will do everything you as speakers don't like doing or don't have the time to do. Whatever it is, licking stamps, calling clients, writing sales letters. If you need me to I will come to your house and cut your lawn. All I'm asking in return for my time is a financial contribution of your choice."


Surveying the audience at this point, I could tell some people's minds were racing with all the odd jobs they could get me to do for cheap.


I finished up by saying, "Whatever you don't like doing I will do, in exchange for an financial contribution of your choice. Everything I make from this campaign will go directly towards getting me out to the CAPS national conference."


I finished explaining my campaign and immediately a gentleman at the back of the room stood up. He said, "Stu, I will pay for your entrance fee to the seminar." Just like that, half of my costs were taken care of!


Once that gentleman was finished telling me about what he was willing to contribute another gentleman stood up. He said, "Stu, I will take care of getting you out to the seminar." Bang, Bang. In a matter of minutes 85% of my expenses were taken care of.


That's what being creative is about my friends.


By asking myself that creative question, I was able to come up with a solution that got me out to the conference and my entrance fee paid for. By the time I got there it had turned into a big story, the national CAPS publication had written a story about me and I had all kinds of people coming up to me asking me questions.


Always remember to explore your creativity and may ideas come to you when you need them the most.


Stay posted for more!

About the Author

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