>> Part 1 ... Fresh and Fun ways to come up with Salon and Spa Ideas
5. Keep an Ideas Journal
Use a journal to put down your thoughts visually to allow you to think about your ideas from various angles, and create clarity of thought. Wherever possible, doodle. Do drawings of processes, tasks, relationships. Connect the dots or let them flow from one to another. Create a habit to write down key ideas. It has been psychologically proven that you get more of what you reinforce. This is because our brains are physically made up of a super-complex web of neural networks that build and reinforce themselves each time you perform an activity. This means that whenever an idea pops into your mind and you reinforce it by writing it down or typing it out, you are actually reinforcing the act of getting ideas. By failing to write or type it down, you are telling your mind that they are not that important to you and you consequently become less creative. This is why I suggest that you keep a concept/ideas journal. Often you get a great idea and think that you will remember it. When you try to recall it at a later time, it has often disappeared out of your consciousness. By keeping a journal, you will develop a powerful storehouse of all your ideas and concepts. This will allow you to choose which ones are the best and most profitable and you can begin to develop them further.
6. Random Stimuli
Exposure to random stimuli triggers more thoughts in the brain, which improves creative thinking ability. An environment that contains many objects and textures is much more favorable to lateral thinking. Encourage the crossing of boundaries and the unexpected, illogical and unpredictable. Take your main product or service and force fit a connection with each item on a list of random products, services or objects.
7. Exposure to a wide range of information
Exposure to a wide range of informationhas been proven to intensify “out of the box” thinking abilities. Exposure to lots of unrelated information has a very posi¬tive impact on getting the creative juices flowing. Exposure to random stimuli triggers thoughts which improve creative ability. Watch a movie with a questioning mind and notice the characters, underlying messages and meaning. Allow your mind to wander about aimlessly and see what related and unrelated ideas or notions are triggered.
8. Hooray for crazy ideas
Do you have a crazy idea, which you think would not work? Many crazy ideas are embraced and become a huge success. Who would have thought massaging with hot rocks would be popular? How about a cream with sea weed broth? (Creme de la mer)
Wrapping a client in mud or seaweed, sounds pretty crazy. But these concepts have stories with explanations, benefits and finesse which takes them to a level of newness, freshness and a new market is created. People have an insatiable hunger for something brand new to sink their teeth into. Just relax, and let ideas come in any form. Let you mind run wild. You can always discard them later. Crazy ideas may come from unconscious places that are trying to show us something important or insightful.
© Belinda Meyer publishes information for the Salon and Spa industry. She offers helpful information relating to health, beauty therapy, spa treatments, skin care, hair and more. Want to know more? Visit www.salonprofit.net
