I have read about 14 chapters of SOGR,I'm confused how one can be creative in business,if someone wants to begin garments business, there are lot others doing the same business , how could he be creative....?please explain

I’ll give one example I came across that, to me, exemplifies being creative in business.

A man had gotten his degree and license to be a chiropractor and wanted to have a practice in Monterey, California. So, he went to the area’s chiropractic organization and asked for advice. He was told that he really shouldn’t try to start a practice there because they already had one chiropractor for every 6 persons living there.

I don’t know why he wasn’t discouraged by this fact, but he wasn’t. Instead found a map of the area and pinpointed where he wanted to have his business. Then, in 6 months he went in concentric circles around that point and visited every address he could. He told whomever would listen that he was going to be a new chiropractor in the area and asked pertinent questions and handed out his business card.

When he opened his office he did $72,000 in business in the first couple months, and almost a million in the first year.

One reason this man was successful is a principle of business: People like to do business with someone they know. Even though there was already 1 chiropractor for every 6 persons living there, it seems apparent that they did not go around knocking on doors and introducing their selves and making their selves known.

If I were going into the garment biz I think I'd try to be customer oriented. I might ask: What makes people want to buy a certain garment over another? What makes them shop at one place over another? Years ago I remember a success story about a young man who opened a retail store in the middle of New York City. Even though he had very stiff competition his biz thrived because he designed his place in such a way that it attracted a certain young clientele more than the established places.

Just a couple of ideas.

Phil

Update 1-28-11: I wanted to find the source for the story I told above about the chiropractor. I did and it's linked below. Fyi, a couple corrections. (1) He was told there was already 1 chiropractor for every 8 persons, not 6. But also, he made the $72K in his first month when he opened his biz. You can hear Jack tell the story, about mid-way thru the short video.

Jack on Ideas For Taking Action

Great question, Awan! And welcome here.

Phil - great answer

God bless you,

Caroline
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Good question Anwan and good reply Phil!

I owned a printing business which I sold three years ago. I did three things that I believed to be creative rather than competitive.

1) I worked with other printers to build the total pringing business in the comunity, a raising tide raises all ships! More to all, less to none!

2) Our USP (Unique Selling Proposition) was; Printing, Copying and Graphic Design to Influence Your Clients and Your Profits! We showed our clients how to use printing to make money! Printing became an investment rather than an expense!

3) I believed that we could do any printing job! I went after big jobs, and even though we had a small company we were able to do big things! I was the personal contact for our top twenty customers, including personally delivering the fininshed job to them!

65 Years ago my wife started a soap making business, the idea was to be different, so she went about researching hat everyone else was doing and after a whole year of that she decided what she was going to do. Another year to research food grade ingredients organic or at least natural, then the process of formulating the soaps. First year she started with 3 soaps to day she offers 15 soaps 3 shampoos, 7 different skin care creams. How does she do it, she look for problems and fix them. She talk to people and listen to what they need and fulfill the need. Last summer 2000 soaps went to Japan... How about that.
Follow Phil's advice it's a good one.
There is a lady, sorry I don't have the name anymore, on Whidbey island WA. She design and make dye silk garments. You can buy a dress for $3000 to $12,000. She has a very select clientele. movie stars and so on. And when you go to her place the first thing she ask is "what do you like to wear" over a cup of tea and cookies, home made that is.
Close your eyes and visualize that perfect garment, feel the fabric see the colors smell the material and rejoice it's all within you, just let it out.
Take care

I can attest to the fact that the personal touch makes all the difference in the world. I sell my pottery exclusively on the Internet, but some folks just aren't computer savvy. They'll ask me to send photos of what I have, and prices, which is a red flag that they just don't know how to use a computer. I teach them to do just that. Often, I'll ask them for their telephone number call them, and then walk them through the website while teaching them how to click on thumbnails to make them larger, how to scroll down the page-you know, real basics. Lots of people just never learned and just don't know the basics. They're very appreciative and thankful that I am so patient and took the time to help them out. Two of my best customers are people that I did that with. One just ordered a $900.00 amphora yesterday to be the centerpiece in her wine cellar! It makes my heart happy as an artist to know that my piece is to be a focal point.

Customer service is huge too. I have a customer in Canada for whom I made some cookware. Because of a bad batch of clay, the pots failed (they cracked on the stove), so I replaced them immediately, free of charge. I just sent him a skillet this week, and it arrived broken, and he was ashamed to ask me for another one, because it was the replacement for one of the ones that broke originally. So I called him, reassured him that the insurance would take care of it and not to feel bad, because to me, it is like selling another pot. He was very appreciative, and is ordering more pots-some antique reproductions, which I LOVE to make.

Bernard, I just LOVE the story of the lady who makes $12,000.00 silk garments! It inspires me. The story of your wife making soap for 65 years inspires me also, how amazing!

I appriciate all you friends gave me very nice idieas, I'm basically Software Engineer developing Busniness Applicatins, I'm thinking to develop a ERP system ( complete Business Application) and then launch it in market...Please give me some good ideas about Software Industry or some other profitable Business.....

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Originally posted by Awan:
I have read about 14 chapters of SOGR,I'm confused how one can be creative in business,if someone wants to begin garments business, there are lot others doing the same business , how could he be creative....?please explain

I was listening to a CD from Abraham Hicks a while back. It said, "Does the world really need another painting? Does it really need another book?" (Or, in this case, another garment business?)

The point was that no - the world probably doesn't NEED it, but we each have our own ways of expressing ourselves in the world. And we need that. WE do. And since each of us, as we express ourselves into our world, do it in our own way - that is, express our own creativity. THAT is our creative gift to the world.

I don't believe Mr. Wattles meant we had to be "different". I believe he meant "creative" and that means creating from within, giving full expression of ourselves.

Leslie

quote:

Please give me some good ideas about Software Industry or some other profitable Business.....

Awan,

I think the first thing you need to do is, ask yourself what you would do if you did NOT need any money? What would you do to help people, if you ALREADY had millions?

Or, what do you LOVE to do right now, even when you don't have to do anything for money?

Could what you love to do help others? If so, how? How could it help others?

Answering these kinds of questions puts you in touch with your passions and what you love. And, when you monetize these, it becomes a love affair kind of business. You end up loving the business and the people you serve and what you do. So, if this is what you want and create, you automatically do everything you can to make it succeed, because you know it helps everyone, and not just makes you some money.

And also, with whatever your present work and circumstances are, figure out how to get into the mood of someone who's on their way to creating a dream-come-true life and business.

"The Universe is responding to how you feel." Esther Hicks

Phil