Business Memo: Big problems equal big opportunities

They say that adversity creates big challenges, and big challenges create big ideas. Certainly in my experience in business, that is true. In fact, some of the best ideas I've ever seen were hatched during the most stressful of times.

There is something afoot in our industry. A big idea has been hatched that is growing as only a great idea can, fueled by the Internet, and now even by the national media.

I'm talking about my friend Cinda Baxter's The 3/50 Project, which is lifting the spirits and empowering the creative thoughts of independent retailers all across this country.

Cinda's Web site about this project, www.the350project.net, does a much better job of explaining this than I ever could. I encourage each one of you to check out this Web site as quickly as possible. Pay particular attention to the "In the Media" tab. You will be amazed at how fast this phenomenon is growing.

We have never needed a creative, positive idea in this industry, and for that matter, in America, more than we do right now. Cinda's brainchild is tapping into that need for positive thinking at just the right time.

The program is all about pointing out to average Americans the positive impact they can have by spending their dollars with local merchants whenever possible. The numbers are breathtaking; the possibilities could be legendary.

One of the things that makes this exciting for me is I see this growing throughout the country now and it is breaking out into all kinds of other industries as well as ours.

Now, what can you learn from all this?

First, no matter how much adversity we are facing, the world is always hungry for people who can create solutions to problems.

What is the biggest problem/opportunity facing your business today? Have you taken the time to bring your best team members together and creatively brainstorm on "thinking out of the box" and trying something entirely different?

Have you called someone from another industry, and offered to buy them lunch or a cup of coffee to share your issues with them and ask their thoughts? I have learned a tremendous amount of business knowledge from my time in this industry, but since starting a consulting business, I have been amazed at how much additional knowledge I have learned from meeting with and talking to people in other industries as well. Business is business, and there are things we can learn by reaching out, broadening our friendship base and learning from other's success.

It's been my experience that having creative brainstorming sessions or reaching out to new contacts in other industries, can be a difficult thing to do. We all get so caught up in the day to day minutiae of running our businesses that we don't seem to have the time to schedule "extra stuff."

I would recommend that you have creative brainstorming sessions with your team somewhere off-site from your normal place of business.

Next, control the atmosphere. No computers allowed, no Blackberries, no cell phones. Keep it simple. Designate a leader for the meeting, have a whiteboard ready, and state the opportunity to be pursued.

The last, most critical tip? Keep it fun, keep it humorous, and consider giving an award for the "most stupid idea of the day." Make sure everyone understands this is an opportunity to explore all possibilities, and to break out of normal structured thinking. Remember, all great business ideas weren't written on the backs of bar napkins after a couple of cocktails.

Now, are you really ready to learn from others? Start by making a list of five businesses, outside of this industry, that you respect and admire. Contact the owner or chief executive and invite them out to lunch. Tell them how much you respect their business from the outside, and that you're looking to network with them a bit and learn from them. Most people find the combination of a compliment and an opportunity to talk about their business too hard to resist. After five lunches like this, you will be amazed at the ideas you will begin to come up with based on new learnings.

Tough times should never be wasted. Innovation is always ready to break out, and it's even easier for it to happen in difficult times as opposed to boom times when we're all successful and a little bit lazy.

Cinda's idea could well be looked back upon in the future as a game changer for independent businesses of all industries. So, what are you doing today to change your world?