Be original, and you’ll have more fun doing your job.
Think about the time when your business was just getting off the ground. Difficult as it may have been, it was pretty exciting because you either had a great new idea for a product, or you wanted to productively build on an established product or service.
It was exciting to build something of your own, something that you knew could be successful because you could do it better than anyone else. One of the greatest joys of running your own business is the freedom to create anything you want.
You’re not working to build someone else’s empire, but instead you are striving to make a statement about who you are, in the way you do business. If you continue to keep that kind of an attitude towards your business, then you’ll always have fun doing it—and what’s the point, if you’re not having fun?
You have ideas that no one else has.
Whether you’re designing your new logo, or adding new features or products, you can inject life into your business by putting your own flare into it.
The best thing about creativity is that when you make something your own, it will be unlike anything else, setting you apart from the pack. This is highly important because a differentiator many times is the key to a business’ success.
Copying other businesses only works if you find a differentiator.
To copy other businesses that have been successful in your field is a good way to build on a good idea, especially because you already know that it has worked for someone else.
At the same time, there is no way to distinguish yourself when your business looks, sounds, and functions exactly like all other similar businesses.
In a competitive market, finding a differentiator is vital to gaining an advantage over your competitors, and by using originality in every aspect of your business, you can gain a distinctive edge.
It’s easy to get bored with what you do, if you don’t challenge yourself.
It’s easy to create a business that is just like all the others, and of course it’s a good idea to first use what is proven to be effective by others who have been successful in your field, but there is one problem with that…
You’re an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are imaginative, and that’s the kind of person that will eventually lose inspiration if the work does not challenge their imagination.
Why not add something new to the world?
It’s a given that you’re in business to make money and to be successful, and that is an ambitious endeavor in its own right. But what if there was a higher calling for entrepreneurs?
What if you could really make your mark on the world by building a business that is truly remarkable, by providing outstanding service, or observing high standards of business, or just by doing whatever you excel at?
You may even be able to add something to the business world that changes the game, completely. None of that is possible without originality, not to mention the fact that it makes your job a lot more interesting.
It is hard to make time for creativity when you’re running a business, but in doing so, you will add far more value to your work and everything it affects by staying original.
Stephanie
Stephanie is the Marketing Director at Talkroute and has been featured in Forbes, Inc, and Entrepreneur as a leading authority on business and telecommunications.
Stephanie is also the chief editor and contributing author for the Talkroute blog helping more than 100k entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses.