SCAMPER - creativity toolbox

SCAMPER - seven tools to being creative


SCAMPER is a creativity toolbox that you can use to generate more creative ideas on demand. Alex Osborne’s book, “Applied Imagination” emphasized the use of questions to spur ideas. Bob Eberle rearranged the questions to spell the word SCAMPER.

SCAMPER is an acronym for a series of questions to help you generate many ideas more quickly. Ask each question and force yourself to generate at least one answer for each of the elements in SCAMPER. When you are generating ideas remember that no idea is a bad idea. In the later stages of creative problem solving you will test, filter and strengthen the creative ideas. At this stage just generate ideas.

To instantly be more creative use the SCAMPER toolbox. Use SCAMPER to generate creative ideas for a new product or service. Use SCAMPER to generate ideas to change a process. Use SCAMPER to find solutions to a problem.
Here is how it works. For each element in SCAMPER ask the question, “What might I xxx?”

For example; the S in SCAMPER is for Substitute. So the question you ask is, “What might I substitute?”

The C in SCAMPER is for Combine. So the question you ask is, “What might I combine?”

Substitute:
Substitute one of the components for some other material. Substitute one of the steps in the process. Substitute a person on the team.

Combine:
Combine two or more concepts that do not normally go together. What can you combine that hasn’t normally been combined? Red and blue to make purple.

Adapt:
Adapt a product for a different use. Adapt a concept in a different way. Adapt your position in a changing market.

Modify - Minimize/Maximize:
How can you modify the product physically? Stretch, bend, fold or shrink it. Make it bigger. Make it smaller.

Put to another use:
If this dog won’t hunt, how can you use this dog in another way. Everything has more that one use.

Erase - eliminate:
Take out the parts that don't add value. Erase a step in the process. Eliminate some part of the product. What can you remove?

Reverse - rearrange:
Turn things around, upside down and backwards. Or maybe change your perspective.


That is the SCAMPER toolbox. Use it to generate creative ideas.

For more ideas on creative problem solving.


George Torok
Creative Problem Solving
Creative Facilitator


SCAMPER
What can you….?

Substitute
Combine
Adapt
Modify
Put to another use
Erase
Reverse

Creative Facilitation

Creative Facilitation

• Do you want to generate tons of creative ideas?
• Do you want to examine and develop your strategic plan?
• Do you want a creative facilitator to guide your group toward creative solutions

The Process of Creative Facilitation
A creative facilitator should move your team through the creative process. Are you designing a new program, promotion, product, or process? George Torok can work with your group as the impartial process expert to help steer your team over the obstacles and through the process to achieve your new creation. George Torok will lead your team through the creative process with probing questions and occasionally calling time-out when emotions flare. He’ll nudge when you need to be nudged and steer when you get off track. Depending on your situation this facilitation session usually takes at least a full day. It often takes a few days.


Some things you should know about creative facilitation.

• Nothing is sacred.
• Assume nothing.
• Your facilitator will state the rules.
• The rules might change.
• Your facilitator will ask you questions – tough questions.
• Your facilitator will listen to the group.
• Your facilitator might challenge the perspective of the group.
• Your facilitator will help cement where you are and where you are going.
• Your facilitator is there to help move the group in a best direction.
• Your facilitator might be like good medicine. Sometimes it will be good for you but it will taste awful.
• When the day is over – your facilitator leaves and you must act on what you agreed.
• You creative facilitator will point out possibilities, incongruities, lessons from other organizations, and the overlooked obvious.

George Torok

Creative Facilitator

Creative Problem Solving

Graduate of the the Creative Problem Solving Institute

Entrepreneurs - 100 Daily Must-Reads

For entrepreneurs here is a helpful blog post. 100 valuable blogs for entrepreneurs compiled for you by Bootstrapper.


The 100 Daily Must-Reads for Entrepreneurs

These days, it seems that almost everyone has a blog, so it’s often hard to separate what’s really worth reading from what isn’t. Luckily, we’ve done the work for you and narrowed it down to 100 highly informative sites. Take a look at what they have to say and see how they can help you grow your business.


Entrepreneurial topics:

Raising Capital
Managing Debt and Risk
Managing Staff
Venture Capitalists
Productivity
Small Business
General Interest
Marketing
Startups

I am happy to note that my Marketing Blog is listed on this list of 100 best blogs for entrepreneurs.

George Torok
Motivational Speaker
Entrepreneur
Radio Host of Business in Motion
Marketing Specialist

Ed Mirvish A Special Entrepreneuer

Ed Mirvish was a special breed of entrepreneur.

He died last week. He was almost 93. The story of Ed Mirvish is truly inspirational.

Rick Spence pays tribute to Ed Mirvish on his Canadian Entreprenuer Blog. Here's an excerpt:

"Simple, plain-speaking and embarrassingly self-promotional, Ed never got the respect he deserved. The media today have focusing on his "city-building" contributions in saving Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre and building the daring Princess of Wales Theatre. Sure, he proved that business can make a valuable contribution to the culture of a nation. But the media seem reluctant to portray him as a hero for running a tawdry, Vegas-looking discount store."

Read the rest fron Rick Spence on the Canadian Entrepreneur Blog.

George Torok
Entreprenuer
Host of Business in Motion

Mark Twain

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first."
Mark Twain (1835-1910)


Successful entrepreneurs know that – in fact they feel that. I believe that is what drives entrepreneurs to create their own opportunities. They want more that than what the world owes them. They are willing to create their own reward. They are willing to take more than what the world owes them.

Teenagers, union members and many employees are still asking the world to give them their due. And then when the world gives them their due they are unhappy with the world.

George Torok
Host of Business in Motion
Co-Author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Business Writer of over 300 articles

Business Lessons from Las Vegas

Business Lessons from Las Vegas
If you haven’t been to Las Vegas yet – you must go. Take good notes. Las Vegas is a terrific business model. Las Vegas is a place to learn how to run your business. It’s not about gambling – it’s about running a successful business.

Study these important business lessons from Las Vegas.


Follow systemsThe Las Vegas casinos win most of the time – because they have and follow good systems. Some players think they have systems because they occasionally win. But the casinos are consistently successful because of their systems.


Don’t be greedy
The Las Vegas casinos do not win every game. But they consistently win enough of the time and they are satisfied with that.


Promote your brandLas Vegas is a unique city and the casinos are unique. The Luxor named after the ancient Egyptian city, is built in the shape of a pyramid. Excalibur named after the sword of King Arthur looks like the castle Camelot. New York New York makes you feel as if you are in the big apple. Las Vegas has a strong brand.


Offer value
Value is in the eye of the beholder. That’s why in Las Vegas one could pay hundreds of dollars for a room or $80. That’s why you can gorge at the $5.99 all you can eat buffet – or dine on $50 steak. Free drinks while you play the machines or free accommodation while you gamble thousands.


"Free" fools everyone
You can find free show tickets and free helicopter rides in exchange for attending a high pressure time share pitch. You can drink for free while you are gambling. High stakes gamblers get free room and meals.


Encourage your customers to be emotional
The lights, sounds and design of Las Vegas are created to drive the emotions of the customers. Emotional customers spend more and they infect other customers with their emotion. The Las Vegas casino staff mask their emotions behind their systematized tasks. Emotional people make mistakes, are more likely to say yes to another game,


People buy what they want not what they need
No one needs to visit Las Vegas. No one needs to gamble. No one needs to pay $100 for a show ticket. No one needs to ride in a Hummer. But when people want these things price becomes less important. Las Vegas knows that and they sell what people want.


Create an experienceWhat do you want? That is the real calling card for Las Vegas. What do you want? You have choices in food, gambling, entertainment, transportation, and side trips. Remember no one needs what Vegas offers but people return for the experience and the memories.


Make people feel safeLas Vegas, the city of sin feels safe. People walked along the strip with drinks in their hand yet there was no sign of violence. And the police kept a very low profile. The street venders always respected our signals to back off


Keep it clean
The streets of Las Vegas are clean. I went for an early morning run and noticed the street sweepers preparing for a new day. Even with an inordinate number of smokers I did not notice butts on the sidewalk.


Offer choices
Pamper yourself at the Bellagio. Ride a gondola at the Venetian. View the city from the top of the Stratosphere. Entertain your family to Circus Circus. Rent a limousine. Attend the Vegas convention center. Marvel at a magic show. Ride the Sky Train. Walk the strip. Visit downtown.

Las Vegas is an incredible experience. Las Vegas is a fabulous business model.

If you haven’t been to Las Vegas yet – you must go. Take notes when you visit.


Read about Lessons from David Copperfield
http://www.powermarketing.ca/secrets_from_david_copperfield.html

Official City of Las Vegas site
http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/

Bellagio Hotel & Casino
http://www.bellagio.com/

Arrange for your Las Vegas Convention Speaker

George Torok
Entrepreneur
Host of radio show "Business in Motion"
Motivational Business Speaker