Small Business Support For Those On A Tight Budget

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.

If you're looking to market yourself and your business on a tight budget, you've got to learn to be creative and you've got to learn to start asking creative questions.

Ask yourself:

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.

How about:

3) Who would exchange for ?

What about this 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.

Try and answer this question:

5) How could I substitute 'XYZ' for 'ABC'? How could I substitute 'X' for 'Y'? Or whatever you want to do. What could I substitute for 'XYZ'?

Here's another one that I love. This really puts you in the shoes of unique and different people.

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.

These questions amongst others have opened up all kinds of opportunities for me, and they've been the oxygen - the lifeblood - of my career and the success that I'm experiencing.

Let me give you a small example about how I used this creative way of questioning.

Right out of University I decided to become a professional speaker, speaking to high school and college students - which I still do on occasion - speaking on the topic of creativity because that topic helped me go from a University failure all the way to the top of my class, straight A's, and named Most Outstanding Male of my graduating class. There was a big difference between what happened first year and my last year, and I attribute it all to learning the skill on the art of creative thinking, and I was very passionate about it.

The problem was I didn't know the first thing about being a professional speaker or building a profitable speaking business.

To try and learn the ropes I joined an organization called CAPS, The Canadian Association for Professional Speakers.

At one of my first meetings I attended I approached a gentleman there who was doing very well with his speaking career about what I needed to do to get to his level. He replied by saying. "It's very simple, Stu. I'll give you three things to do, once you have those finished, come back and I'll give you some more."

He said, "Number one, you need to join CAPS. You need to surround yourself with like-minded people, who are working in your industry and can help you grow." I said, "Okay."

To join CAPS the registration was $200, which was a big chunk of my budget. I remember even asking them if I could pay in smaller payments, which I did. Despite the squeeze, I joined the CAPS organization.

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.

One thing I that I had at that point was time itself. Because I had just started my speaking business I wasn't speaking very often, so I knew I had some time I could offer.

It was at this moment I asking myself, "How could I use my time to help someone else?" By answering that question I came up with, 'Help Stu Be Like You,' a campaign to help me get to the National Conference.

But here was the concept and here's what happened. I approached the biggest chapter of the CAPS organization in my province and I asked for 30 seconds in front of the whole group. There were about 75 of them.

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.

The next question I asked was, "Out of all of you who have your hand up, how many of you have been to the CAPS national conference?" About 75% of the room kept their hands up.

I continued, "Of those who have been able to attend the conference, how many of you believe it would be beneficial for a new speaker, with no experience to be able to go?" Everyone 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 began to explain my campaign. "This is what I am willing to do. Anything that you as speakers don't like doing, don't have time to do, or just need an extra pair of hands to do, I will do it. Sales calls, creating sales letters, licking stamps, anything. I will even come to your house and cut your lawn or wipe your baby's bottom if that's what you want me to do. All I'm asking in return is a financial contribution of your choice."

Looking out at everyone I could see some people's wheels were just turning thinking, "Oh wow. This is amazing. I can get all those little jobs I hate doing for cheap!"

I said, "I am willing to do whatever you don't like doing in exchange for a financial contribution of your choice, all of which will go towards getting me out to the CAPS national conference."

As soon as I finished explaining it, a gentleman at the back of the room stood up, and he said, "Stu, I will pay for your entrance fee to the seminar." Boom. Just like that. Half of my costs basically taken care of.

Another gentleman stood up right after him and said, "Stu, don't worry about paying to get out there, I will take care of it." In a matter of five minutes 85% of my expenses needed to go were taken care of.

That is what being creative can enable you to do.

That one creative solution got me out to that conference. It turned out to be a big story because all kinds of people heard about it there and I even had an article published in the national publication.

By exploring your creativity ideas will come to you when you need them the most!

Stay posted for more!

About the Author

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