If you want your business to be successful, then it needs to be innovative; it needs to be appealing, and it needs to build confidence in your customers. When you’re just starting out, it can be hard to come up with ways of fulfilling this criterion, which is why it is so useful to find as many sources of inspiration as you can – doing so will make your business better and stronger.

To get you started, here are some common sources of business inspiration:

Competitors

Looking at what your competitors do, especially those that are already hugely successful is probably the best way to get inspiration for your own company. Obviously, you should not copy them – you won’t be able to beat them at their own game – but you should see what they’re doing well and find ways to replicate that in a way that is unique to your own business. For example, if you’re selling smartphones, you’d do well to look at Apple iPhones and how they are sold, You’ll notice that they do customer service very well – something you can easily emulate with your own spin – and that they offer high-quality minimalist products. Again, this is something you can put your own stamp on by creating your own minimalist designs. This is just one example, but you get the picture.

Your Religion

If you are a religious person, a Christian for example, then you will know that your faith has been founded on a set of principle. These principles, as many companies, such as King Radios, who are founded on Christian principles have discovered, translate surprisingly well to the business world, especially when it comes to customer service. If your company is honest, has a vision and is built on a solid foundation (all Christian principles), then it is much more likely to appeal and win customers over.

Mentors

Everyone who is running a small business should have a mentor -someone who has been there and done that – simply because successful people are a constant source of information. Every conversation you have with them is brimming with ideas, flooding your brain with knowledge and inspiration which will undoubtedly rub off on you and not only make you more creative but help you to make more money. Don’t have a mentor? Start looking for one now.

At Trade Shows and Events

Attending as many events, conferences and trade shows in your niche, and others,  as you can is a sure-fire way to find new inspiration. Going to shows that aren’t directly in your niche, but which are in some way related can be particularly fruitful because other niches will have their own ways of doing things that you may be able to adapt to suit your circumstances and stand out from the crowd, which is exactly what you need to do if you want to be successful in modern business.

Are you an entrepreneur? How do you find inspiration for your business? Do you do it all yourself or do you seek external sources to bolster your business and make it the best it can be?