Acting on Ideas and Other Tips This Week How to get beyond brainstorming, beat procrastination and find more permanent customers: our best tips of the week.
By Brian Patrick Eha •
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A roundup of the best tips of the week from Entrepreneur.com.
Brainstorming is great, but after the meeting the ideas often languish on someone's hard drive or notepad and no one ever acts on them. From now on, assign a point person to every good idea -- someone who will see it through from the idea phase to implementation.
It's best to divvy up the ideas based on job description; for instance, suggestions for creative social media campaigns might go to your marketing director or community manager. "This is probably the most important aspect of a well-functioning innovation program -- a motivated and empowered person or small team who will see ideas through to a decision," says Tim Meaney, CEO of Kindling, an idea-management app. More: 4 Ways to Organize New Ideas and Drive Innovation
Beat procrastination by being publicly accountable.
It's easy to cut yourself slack when it comes to achieving your goals. Fix this issue by alerting others to your to-do list through social media, holding morning "check-in" meetings with your team or using an online task management tool such as Trello. Or why not do all three? More: 4 Cures for Chronic Procrastination
Begin challenging your successor now.
If you want your company to be in good hands when you're gone, you should do more than just pick a successor. "You [need to put] people in positions that intentionally round them out and give them experiences they lack, but also test certain elements of their leadership," says John Beeson, a New York City-based succession planning consultant. Best to do this while you're still around to show them the ropes. More: Your Business Without You: 4 Steps to Finding Your Successor
To thrive as a networking-adverse introvert, arrive early to parties.
To an introvert, few situations inspire more trepidation than walking into a noisy room full of strangers and trying to join their conversations. The best strategy is be one of the few people who arrive early; you'll be able to ease into socializing and connect with other guests in a less overwhelming environment. More: An Introvert's Guide to Surviving the Holiday Season
Keep in touch with holiday customers throughout the coming year.
Don't let holiday customers get away; keep reminding them of the excellent products or services you provide throughout the year. "It's necessary to remind customers that you are there," says Maureen Bay, founder of jewelry retailer Gem of an Idea. Her business earns 40 percent of its revenue in the fourth quarter, and she adds these seasonal customers to her mailing list and follows up to alert them to pieces that fit their tastes. More: 3 Ways to Turn Holiday Shoppers Into Year-Round Customers
