Posts

How can you make brainstorming fun?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Brainstorming|How can you make brainstorming fun?What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is used as a method to generate ideas to solve a problem. It is a creativity technique done in groups to find a solution for a specific problem. It puts together the list of ideas given by the member in a free-thinking environment. Brainstorming is popular mostly in design teams because they have to think out of the box and in every direction. By brainstorming, we can cover the problems with many ideas given by the members and can have many creative ways. You can have every imaginable solution to the problem.

Some rules that can help your team in brainstorming:

  • There should be a facilitator who can conduct the meeting.
  • Give a chance to everyone to give their creative ideas.
  • There should be a time limit given to them to think.
  • Let them ask questions from you about the topic, the clearer they will be about the topic, the more creative ideas you can get.
  • You can encourage weird ideas too, do not shut the person down, listen to them. Maybe you can consider their ideas.
  • Build on others ideas, make someone else’s idea more creative.
  • Do not make it a fish market, allow everyone to speak but one at a time.
  • Do not be negative or give immediate judgment.

Brainstorming can be fun for some people, but some people do not like it because they are too shy to speak or introverts. Extroverts can speak too much and can dominate the introvert. The leader of the team should lead it in a solution-focused environment. There are ways by which you can make the brainstorming fun like a pinboard, and everyone can participate.

Warm-up activity

Give their brains a little break. Your brain should be clear to generate creative ideas. You can give them the activity at the start that can help them in brainstorming. Ask your participants questions that can help them to open their minds. Give them a silly question like what will you do if your sunglasses were x-rayed vision, once they start thinking about the ideas, it means they are ready to be creative.

Outside of the box

Sometimes the office environment can be stressful, and it gets impossible to think creatively. Take your time outside of the office. Take them to a coffee shop, or an amusement park. Take them anywhere that can help them in generating creative ideas and can think outside of the box. Changing the environment of a person can help them in their creativity. It will be a fun and creative trip where everyone will be giving their ideas in a not so boring environment. Everyone can get comfortable and comfy in that environment, and no one will have that office pressure, they can have their time to clear their mind from other problems and think creatively.

Ask for the worst ideas

You always ask your team to give you good and creative ideas but now ask them to give the worst and terrible ideas for the situation. Write the problem on the board and ask them to start giving the worst idea they can think of. The ideas can be stupid, but maybe you can think of something creative from that idea.

  • It will create a fun environment; everyone can laugh.
  • A positive feeling around the meeting.
  • There will be no pressure and time limit.
  • People can get more comfortable.

Looking for a problem from an opposite perspective can help you a lot. It can give you real ideas, and you can always make them a little better.

Get colourful

Maybe it has been a long time since you and your team picked up some colours and markers? Give your team colour books and colour pencils. Even if they are not good with drawing or doodling, tell them that it should not be the perfect art piece. A study shows that doodling can help you to alert your mind. Doodlers perform 29% better than non-doodlers. Many people can start daydreaming while doing a boring task. Colouring can help them in being creative. So next time you get a lot of colour books and markers for your meeting.

Walls can talk

This technique is best for boring meetings. Write down the problems or project your team needs to work on each wall. Write questions on the walls. Give your team members the pad of sticky notes and tell them to walk around the room, see the problems and write any solution that is coming to their mind anonymously. Set a time limit of 10 to 15 minutes. Encourage creative thoughts. In the end, you can gather everyone’s suggestions and can work on it as a team. You can ask the team member to vote for a better idea.

Bring an outsider

Your team consists of mostly the same people. There is a group of the same people with the same minds every week. The same ideas, same patterns, and disagreements. Everything repeats it selves when you are with the same people every week. Why not change it a little bit? Bring an outsider in the meeting. We all know a designer will only think like a designer, by bringing another person who is not known to the environment can give their honest opinions and ideas, and he can be work as your customer. You can know your customers’ point of view. You can bring any person from your office, but he should not be the person who knows your work, that is how that person can come up with unique ideas from an entirely different perspective.

Be different

Choose any of the ways you want to make your meeting fun and creative. No one likes to sit in a boring meeting and generate ideas like the old style. Take them out, make them think out of the box, give them colours, help them get comfortable. These things can surely help your team to get creative and you can and the best ideas. Everyone loves a little bit of weirdness. Get that creative person out of you and start brainstorming!

Conclusion

Brainstorming is often considered difficult particularly for people who are not creative; however, if all the above-mentioned approaches are adopted, one will be able to expand his/ her thinking capacity and be able to brainstorm the ideas.

The best fidget toys to relieve stress and anxiety at your office

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Fidget Toy|The best fidget toys to relieve stress and anxiety at your officeWe live in a fast-paced world with cut-throat competition. Companies try their best to be number 1 in the league. This does not come without a cost. Every individual in the office must give their 100% to stay ahead in the game.

From leadership to the employees, everyone is in constant pressure and stress. Since offices can’t put an end to the work problem, they have introduced stress toys to help the employees combat stress.

Being constantly under pressure can harm us, deteriorate our health and affect our ability to enjoy and even work efficiently. The office often overwhelms us and we can’t manage the work-life balance in our lives. We don’t take stress seriously but when it becomes chronic, anxiety can deteriorate the quality of life and severe our personal and work ties.

There are many ways professional workplaces try to lower the anxiety of their employees, they might be excursion trips, exercise or yoga. All these things take time and most are practiced away from the workplace. To relieve pressure and lower the stress that office workers experience, it is worth trying some stress games that, in addition to entertaining, allow us to improve well-being and restore psycho-emotional balance.

Toys to relieve stress

Our brain is a powerful tool and when it spends too much time stressing over our worries it can damage itself badly. The problem is the brain itself does not realize the amount of stress it is in.

It is not crazy to think that small toys or simple games can be good allies against stress. Several investigations indicate that fiddling with small devices can generate benefits in restless people who feel anxiety since it can help them focus on what they are doing and even serve as a boost for their creative ideas. Fidget means small and frantic movement which we unintentionally make while stressed. The fidget toys come with options to choose the best suitable stress relieving fidget toy for you.

Here we will tell you the best fidget toys which come with many options and are the best allies against the stress. These fidget toys also help adults with ADHD.

They are basically small “toys” to keep your fingers moving and relieve tension. They are simple and come with options to choose varied and in different materials. They have the most varied formats, from plastic disks that allow wheel spin or press switches to metal tops.

Fidget Spinner

Fidget spinners were the most popular fidget toys. The people who were not going through a stressful period had a fidget spinner as well.

They became famous among kids, teens, and adults likewise. It gave a calming effect to the user and surely relieved anxiety. The Fidget Spinner has become the ultimate global entertainment. It’s all the rage in schools and even presidents use it.

Fidget spinners are of different materials, such as plastic or steel, they are formed by a central axis with two, three or more arms, which rotate. Due to the equal weight distributed to the arms, the fidget spinner rotated for quite a while and helped people regain their calm.

Fidget Cube

It is a gadget in the form of a cube that, in each of its six faces, has a different mechanism oriented to calm the nerves. Completed with buttons, wheels, levers and even a metal sphere, its creators ensured that the different fidget options in the fidget cube allow releasing tensions easily and efficiently without disturbing anyone.

Although they vary in different versions, a fidget cube has buttons that click, a sphere which you can rotate, a wheel, rotating gears and a switch to press it as many times as you want.

You can have fun with it, calm your nerves or simply stop biting your nails. And the best thing is that everything in that fits inside your pocket.

Epic Pen Spinning

This toy, which also works as a pen, is elongated and has counterweights at its ends to turn it around and do impossible tricks with the fingers of the hand.

Pin Art

A Pin Art screen, Pinscreen, Needle screen or Rod screen, is a device that allows you to form images by moving very thin cylindrical rods, guided by a suitable mesh and held in a frame.

The Pin Art screen was patented by Ward Fleming and in its beginnings, back in the ’80s, it was considered a “toy for executives”. It is a mechanical, simple and fun game that today is in a lot of homes. Only with how to press or sink fingers, faces or objects, a small 3D sculpture appears.

Coloring books

Coloring books have proven to be an excellent stress-relieving option. Coloring had always been something exclusive to children. In an increasingly fast-paced world, the need to sit down and distract the mind became an adult demand and mandalas became an ideal anti-stress option.

Mandalas are circular designs that symbolize the notion that life never ends and has been used for centuries as a spiritual tool in the East. Today they are fashionable in the West and many recommend them as a resource to relieve tension and improve concentration by painting and coloring these drawings.

Stress putty

Stress putty is like slime but less runny. It is an excellent option to relieve office stress and anxiety. They come in different colors and textures as you can even customize them by adding Styrofoam balls or glitter.

Fidget pen

How many of us repeatedly press the button on the end of our ball pens without even realizing that the sound it makes can be a nuisance for all the other employees? That is why a fidget pen is the best option for such people as it can give stress relief and also does not make any sound.

Fidget toys manufacturers have to keep a number of things in consideration like it should not make sounds that can disturb others. They should be lightweight so the users can easily take help from stress toys to relax and relieve the extra office stress and last but not least, it has to be easy on the pocket.

Work in a stress-free environment

Chronic stress can lead to several psychological and physiological ailments. Individuals and offices have to take care of the employees by managing other factors that might lead to access to stress and anxiety.

Fidget toys, helpful colleagues and an understanding leadership can help in creating a stress-free environment for the people in your office and keep the employees happy.

All You Need to Know About Unsecured Business Loans

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Unsecured Business Loans|All You Need to Know About Unsecured Business LoansWhen you first try to establish your business the first thing you look for is money. Money is an essential component of any business. How are you going to finance the idea which you have in your mind is the main question. When you read the biography of any big businessmen they all tell how they gather up finances. Some sold their land some borrowed money from relatives some put their house on stake to get some finances luckily nowadays unsecured business loans facility is available for people who want to venture in business.

What is an Unsecured Business Loan?

Let’s take a brief look at what an unsecured business loan is all about. In secured business loan when you go to a bank or any other loan provider you have to put your tangible asset on stake (as a guarantee) to get the loan but in unsecured business loan, you don’t have to put your asset (which is commonly known as collateral) as a guarantee instead of the bank see your credit history and provide you a loan on the credibility that you have given them written promise that you will return this money.

An unsecured business loan is the entrepreneur’s heaven to start a new venture without seizing his asset.

How many types of unsecured business loans?

We are dividing them into two main categories

  • One type of unsecured loan is made you repay and withdraw continuously.
  • The second is fixed terms of payment lender has to make small payments until it reaches the whole amount.

Why it’s Called Unsecured?

It’s called unsecured because one party is lending money but another party is not putting collateral on stake. In secured business loans if the lender failed to repay you can seize his asset but this is not the case with an unsecured business loan.

What information is required by a bank or a Venture Capitalist for Providing an Unsecured Business Loan?

1. History of Your Transactions:
The first and foremost information that banks ask is about your track records of three months how much cash you withdraw and how much you have reimbursed in the bank.

2. Business Partners:
The second most important information required by the bank is who was your business partners in the past and how was your dealing with them and who are your current and future partners and their record of business and stakeholders.

3. Your Lending History:
Yes, you heard me right your lending history, who you had lent money in the past, their contact details and did you return the money, and at what time?

4. Tax Details:
How much tax you have paid annually as an individual and how much you have paid as a business entity.

5. Credit Score:
Your credit history is very important, to lend you money, banks will also want to know your credit scores and details about your credit card history

6. Profit and Loss:
Another important thing lender wants to know is how well is your business running. Is it making a profit or running at a loss? As it plays a vital part to know about the borrower of the money, although they have some knowledge about your money details. All this information is required by the bank to process your application on the unsecured business loan.

Pros of an unsecured business loan:

1.Less Time Required to Proceed:
As we all say that time is money, you need money on an urgent basis, the unsecured loans are provided on an urgent basis which will eventually work for you.

2. Flexible period (payback):
It is also a great advantage for you, to pay back your loan according to your flexibility. The purpose of an unsecured loan is to provide you money on an urgent basis and also pay back the amount according to your flexibility of time.

3. Flexible amount:
It is very important to pay back the amount of loan in a lease form, like you may have the option to pay back the amount on a monthly lease basis.

4. Good for young entrepreneurs:
As they are fast loan providers and have the different options available for the convenience of the borrower it is beneficial for the entrepreneurs, as it will not only help them to start the business but also it will help them to grow their business.

5. No risk to a personal asset:
As business is all about profit and loss, the unsecured loans are providing benefit to the young energetic individual to provide the business opportunity with the option of no personal guarantee needed, which means that if the company faces any losses in future, the owner of the business will not be personally responsible for the loss.

Cons of an Unsecured Business Loan

  • High Markup
    Everything comes with advantages as well as some disadvantages. As the unsecured loans will help the borrower to pay back the money in lease form, but it has a higher amount of mark up as compared to other loans available on an online basis.
  • Increase in the Overall Borrowing Cost
    By providing the loans on a lease basis, it will increase the overall cost for the creditors, also, it will not help the borrower to save the interest cost which is the main consequence in an unsecured loan.

Conclusion:

Several loan companies are providing loans and giving help to the entrepreneurs but they also are helping the different businesses in different ways, to establish and grow.

To get loan from a genuine money lenders are most essential thing which a person need to look up for, also, after getting a loan the borrower must need to work hard to repay it, as it is the responsibility of the borrower to work and return the money and also to establish the business in a greater way.

Also, search for the money lenders that are providing the services according to your own need and according to your own choice of paying back money policy which is feasible for you.

Research, before you get into the loan process, as getting a loan according to your needs, is difficult. Try to clear your mind and focus. Moreover, try to discuss your business plan with the other successful entrepreneur so that you may also get tips for your business venture.

For entrepreneurs, try to work on innovative ideas that will lead your business venture towards a successful journey, although it will require a great effort from business owners as well as with the other partners but will eventually work. Lookup for the opportunities and avail them on time so that you can grow your business.

Things to Consider Before Finalizing Your Business Printing Solutions

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your Busines Article |Business Printing|Things to Consider Before Finalizing Your Business Printing SolutionsQuality Business printing is ideal in fostering your brand’s image and represent its identity subtly. It is integral for a persuasive marketing campaign, advertising your product or services, creating awareness about your event or merely an exhibition of your company’s annual growth. But to be able to compliment all the best features in a well-planned budget is every business owner’s wish. A reputed printing agency would offer you prime-quality business printing services at a highly competitive rate. While finalizing your business prints, you must make sure that they are well optimized to meet with the highest quality and standards. Because it is the quality of your printable that defines your brand. Another prospect that must abet the entire process of business printing is cost-effective planning, which plays a crucial role in every bulk printing job.

And, to ensure everything goes right from the beginning, you should exclude the chances of minor human errors to costly technical lapses. Common mistakes, such as sending the wrong file to the printer or missing on the quiet space while designing, must be dealt with utter dexterity and attention. To assist you in avoiding any such nuisance, printing Brisbane has compiled an intricate check-list – so that you may make sure, and every detail rests in the right place while finalizing your business printing solutions. Also, in this article, you will find easy ways to fix the short-comings without the hassle or drain in the budget.

Make Ample Communication and Time Management

While planning your business print solutions, one element that should be your utmost-priority is effective time management. This habit will not only enable you to address any shortcomings gently but will also maintain your composure before your big day.

Most often, people are reluctant to finalize the features of their print job until the final moments. Consequently, they have no time left to fix any mistake by the end of the print job. Therefore, it is essential to keep a buffer and finalize matters with a handsome time in hand.

Once the designing of your files is complete, never assume that this will not require any further revisions. Your printer might spot a problem or ask for any minor adjustments that could be time-consuming – thus, make sure your designer has enough time to address any feedback properly.

Also, you should know to stay specific in your instructions which means you must prepare your homework before dictating the set of instructions to your printer or designer. Otherwise, a non-prepared pitch could cause you the additional cost and a tremendous amount of time.

Do not assume that your designer or printer is a perfect navigator or a mind reader. Simple tasks could be tricky to understand and can lead to hazardous complications. So, make sure you have outlined every instruction prominently and precisely.

Review Spelling, Grammar, and Other Technical Issues

A slightest of the spelling or grammatical error could be highly embarrassing and can damage the entire reputation of your brand. Make sure you have examined each line thoroughly before finalizing it to the printer. The job can be laborious, so to assist you in this, you can ask a few others in your workplace to proofread and confirm whether the files are ready for the print job. Review every aspect beforehand, make sure your file has buffer space on each side, to avoid trimming off important design or element. Also, you must ensure that the fonts your designer is using are, either available with your printer or you should send your files in PDF format.

It is obvious that to save a few minutes; we skip proofreading and review of important elements, which might later cost us in both time and money.

Making mistakes in human but not bothering to correct them timely is a crime. Yes, simple typos and grammatical mistakes commonly happen in the designing process but it is upon you to make sure that everything is perfectly tuned before it is too late.

Proofreading does not only mean to correct the typos, but it is a process in which you keenly inspect every element of your file and make sure it is print-ready. A wrong version of the file, a missing font, bad color choice or a slight mistake in the contact section can be a very costly affair.

Attend the Context, Avoid the Mainstream

Most of the printable should be utilized for onetime event or campaign, which might not last further than a limited duration. Very rare are the chances that you can use those printables on some different occasions. But, this does not in any way concede that your design is completely worthless after one use; instead, you can plan smartly and use it in other mediums of marketing such as websites, t-shirts, standees, etc. Yet, you should not oversaturate the minds of your target audience with similar prints and designs – rather, a creative remedy can save you a good many bucks.

Another important item you should not oversee is the use of stock images in your creative business printing solutions. If free images are your only resort, then make sure they do not scream “stock image” before the viewers. Otherwise, the whole impact of your art-work gets nullified.

Before finalizing your business prints, focus on the central theme and the information you want to convey dominantly to your audience. Every illustration in your print must convey the same story, boldly and proudly.

Pro Tip, Distribute Wisely

The main phase for which you have been making all those efforts is the distribution of your business print material. It encompasses the prospects of your business, target audience and an effective method of delivering your message to your clients. Not all will get enticed with your branding but those who would – must receive your print material appropriately; this is the reason why it is equally important to carve out a fruitful distribution strategy even before the finalization of your print job.

With a focused emphasis on your potential market, you can save a lot on distribution and carry-out the entire campaign with hallmark success. Stretching your budget is not the only important factor that determines marketing gains – but, it is the effective distribution of both money and assets that determine your success. Know the demographics and see whether your audience of distribution or the placement of your marketing material is relevant enough.

All these prospects must be taken into keen consideration because they possess great potential to influence your entire campaign.

Conclusion

If you follow the above set of instructions while finalizing your print solutions, not only you would be able to avoid major mistakes, but also you can save a healthy amount of time and money for your business.
Always make sure that you are choosing a professional for each task and never compromise on quality. Bulk business printing is a cognitive and rewarding way of connecting with the masses; therefore, one must deal it with diligence and tact.

Ensuring Small Business Success

/in /by

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Small Business Success|Ensuring Small Business SuccessWhen you decide to pursue your dreams and open your own small business, there are many things that can disrupt your venture and reduce your chances of success. Making sure that you have covered all bases is so vital to ensure that your company can thrive, but without a wealth of previous experience then how can you stay in control and push your small business in the right direction? Luckily, there are a few simple steps that you can follow to be as successful as possible throughout your company’s lifetime, and it couldn’t be easier to start making positive changes today! So, if you want to know more about what you can do to ensure your small business is a success, then read on to uncover some of the best tips and tricks that you can utilise to push your profit to respectable levels in no time at all!

Staying On Top Of Paperwork

Opening your own small business is often an overwhelming experience, as the sheer quantity of paperwork that you have to complete to a very high standard can be too much for just one person to handle. Failing to stay on top of your paperwork can easily cause your business to spiral into difficulties, as not only do you have a moral responsibility to keep track of your company, but also a legal requirement too. A large amount of general paperwork can actually be outsourced and completed by another organisation, such as any payroll services for small business needs which can take a huge weight off your shoulders.

The Importance Of Marketing

When you are in the very early stages of business, this is the most important time for you to start marketing and advertising your brand, product or services to gain enough attention and custom to grow and thrive. New small businesses must put effort into getting their name out there to attract customers and develop a reputation, otherwise you will likely not receive even one single customer. Even a small emphasis on advertising can encourage local people to start talking about your business, and word of mouth marketing is one of the most beneficial techniques, as it’s completely free and can help your brand name to spread at a super fast speed.

Sourcing Excellent Staff

Though you may find it difficult to let go of some responsibility and allow other people to get involved and contribute to your small business, it’s so important for growth and success that you can source excellent staff to support you and help your company expand and evolve. Finding a great team doesn’t have to be a difficult task, as you can approach an employment agency with the job role description you have to offer, and allow them to find the perfect candidate to fit your needs. Qualifications and previous experience are a must, as you cannot afford to spend time training and educating your staff.

Ensuring that your small business is a great success has never been so simple when you can make the most of the steps above!