Unleashing brilliance: how to boost innovation and stay creative

It’s no secret that innovation and creativity are where small businesses like yours excel. Yet trying to remain imaginative and innovate well when there are so many functional sides to running a business isn’t always easy. Here are some tips that I hope might help…
 

My top 10 innovation tips for small businesses

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how important it is to innovate your business if you want to retain your customers, attract new ones and stand out from competitors. Especially in a world that seems to be changing as quickly as ours is. Yet how do you carve out new ideas when you’re in the middle of hundreds of practical, day-to-day tasks that (rather annoyingly) just won’t do themselves? It can be like putting a wet blanket on creativity despite our best intentions.

If you’re a female founder especially, finding the energy to be creative when statistics show you’re 60% more likely than men to be doing the invisible, unpaid work* (running a household, caring for family and other emotional labour on top) can make it feel impossible. Plus, some of us battle anxiety that we’ve somehow been ‘lucky’ so far, don’t we? That the brilliant product or business ideas we’ve had that have really resonated with people weren’t down to hard work, talent or intuition but chance. Sound familiar? The truth is, if you’ve innovated once you can do it again. We need to put a stop to our monkey brains having the loudest voice, carve out time in the diary that’s as important to our business as financial planning, and inspire ourselves into it. Here are some ideas on how.
 

1. Do what you love

I honestly believe that it’s much easier to be innovative when you are doing what you love. With passion comes optimism, and that’s a secret fuel so many people don’t actually possess. The more optimistic we are, the more resilient we are and the more open our minds become, and this puts you at a distinct advantage because you will be the one innovating new products, ideas and ways of inspiring others, because you want to. So get back to your North Star and the reason you want to innovate in the first place, and use that as your starting block.
 

2. Innovate around customers’ (real) needs

Think how quickly the world has changed in the last few months. When did you last research your customers? It’s something we need to do regularly because it’s easy to forget that they should be at the heart of absolutely everything we do. That’s what Royal Mail do with the research they commission with Mintel to gain bespoke, independent customer insight, for example. They were able to really find out what people needed or wanted, or where any sticking points might be — and build services directly around this in a way that competitors couldn’t. They learned, for example, that 63% of customers would stop shopping with a retailer that used a delivery company they didn’t trust** — and that’s not just important for them to know, but for small businesses like yours, too. So telling people that research found Royal Mail to be one of the UK’s most trustworthy delivery service for online shoppers is likely to resonate. Also if you can’t afford formal research, even just mapping out your customer journey can sprout all kinds of fresh ideas about where you can surprise and delight them with something new.
 

3. Stay curious and make time to do so

There is no better way to spark creativity than to stay curious… and not just within your own discipline. What will you commit to learning or finding out about in the next 12 months? Who or what excites you? Stay abreast of art, culture, science, how the world is changing and the trends that are emerging. Block out regular time in your diary and safeguard it for this. It may seem frivolous in light of your ever-growing workload but you’ll be surprised by how many of the smaller tasks still manage to get done. Remind yourself what could happen to your business if you don’t innovate and others do. It’s important and it might be worth trying this quick exercise: Take a look at your current things-to-do list. Then write next to each item whether the task will help your business in the short-term or the long-term. Are you giving the long-term benefits enough energy? Innovation will help future-proof your business.
  

4. Take chances, and test and learn

This is where keeping a growth mindset comes into play. See if you can turn uncertainty into opportunity. You don’t need to be born with the ability to do something. You just need to believe that you can learn it. Because you absolutely can. Take risks. Don’t just do what you know or what you expect. Step outside your comfort zone, because to be truly innovative, you sometimes need to turn things upside down a little. Test and learn from new products and business ideas, and do it quickly. This is one of the most common innovation techniques I know and it works. The results sometimes surprise you and can take you in a fresh direction… which is exactly what you want. Don’t be afraid to try new ways of working either. Are there ways that other businesses could help yours? Have you explored Royal Mail’s range of different delivery and returns options for example? Is it worth seeing if they can make your day-to-day operations run more smoothly? You might be pleasantly surprised.
 

5. Create healthy habits

Creative Boom talks about this brilliantly. They say that being creative is much like driving a car. At first it seems almost impossible and then it becomes not just easy but intrinsic. Innovation can be the same but you need to make it a habit. What small rituals will your brain start to associate with being innovative? It might be always starting first thing after breakfast on a Friday or always reading a magazine or newspaper first for a fresh take on what’s happening in the world. That said, your physical space can make a huge difference to your flow of ideas. Some people find it useful to mix it up. Being in a new environment can spark different thought processes and it’s these that lead to innovation so going for a walk along a different route or going to sit in a coffee shop might help. See what works for you.
 

6. Be flexible and collaborate

Being willing to change at the drop of a hat and being open to other people’s ideas can be great for innovation. Collaboration is a superb tool because, in theory, 50% of the thinking will always be new as it’s coming from elsewhere! Also brainstorming (even with friends and family) can be so beneficial but there are ways to make them more productive. Think about what you really want to get out of them beforehand and structure the discussion around that (to allow for tangents but not to let the tangents take over).
 

7.Welcome failure and don’t give up

I’ve always found that bad ideas breed good ones. Think of failure as the stepping stones that will lead you to success. This is the most common theme in my podcast Conversations of Inspiration. I actually can’t think of one guest who hasn’t cited their greatest ‘crash and burn’ moment as being the thing that ultimately got them where they needed to go so embrace them and you’ll fly. Just keep going, even when it feels futile. That’s more than likely when you’ll stumble on something interesting.
 

8. Embrace diversity

By surrounding yourself with a diverse range of experiences, people and ideas, it stands to reason that you’ll be more innovative because you’re getting a broader and more rounded view of life. If you work by yourself or have a small team, think how else you can gain this wider perspective authentically to avoid trying to innovate in an echo chamber. Similarly, don’t really solely on social media for fresh ideas. Be more you. That’s where the gold is.
 

9. Listen to your inner child

Sometimes if your instinct is to be silly, then be silly. An article by Tanager Place said, “Throughout the world, play reveals our humanity. Across multiple studies, it has been found that playfulness in adulthood is not only extremely beneficial to our physical and mental health, but necessary for optimal functioning.” I’ve found this is especially useful for innovation. It’s why you can have the most brilliant ideas when you’re having fun with your friends, uninhibited. I plan to do more of that this year!
 

10. Embrace new technology and ideas

When it comes to creativity, new technology like AI can sometimes feel at odds with our beliefs, particularly if, like Holly & Co, you’re a small business that embraces the unique, the handmade and the humanity it takes to generate true, creative thought or products. Yet technology can help us innovate in all sorts of imaginative ways. As long as we remember it’s a tool rather than a creator, it can absolutely be part of the innovation process. Just find what works for you and what doesn’t — especially if it can save you time. We now use Royal Mail’s Parcel Collect service online, for example. So you simply buy your postage online, choose the Parcel Collect option, and then Royal Mail will come and pick up your packages when it suits you (they’ll even bring printed labels if that’s easier) — and then take care of the posting — leaving you free to get on with being creative. 

And those are my top tips. Try to keep a mindset of continuous innovation. Weave it into your everyday practices. Then from blocking out time in your diary to think creatively, to staying curious or creating healthy habits, you’ll soon see a difference to your output. I wish you all the luck!

Sources:

*ONS (10 November 2016) ‘Women shoulder the responsibility of unpaid work'
**Mintel’s Online Retailing Consumer Report 2024, commissioned by Royal Mail