Creative phase, Productive phase and Organizational phase are the three phases of entrepreneurship. In the creative phase, an entrepreneur comes up with ideas that are directly based on his endeavors. In the productive phase, he makes these ideas real by getting the job done. In the organizational phase, he strategize, hire people or forms groups of people needed to get the job done, and comes up with action plans for improvement.
Entrepreneur Creativity
The ability of a person to formulate ideas and concepts in his mind is made possible through creativity. The creative thought, or what is scientifically known as divergent thought, results to something that is original, novel, and relevant to our wants and needs. Robert Franken further defines creativity as one’s ability to come up with ideas and possibilities that will provide a solution to a particular problem. It is all about seeing things from an entirely new or different perspective; of being able to think out of the box.
Creative Entrepreneur Traits
An entrepreneur would need to possess a high level of creativity in order to come up with great ideas and plans. Creative entrepreneurs manifest the following traits:
1. Smart and curious
2. Energetic at one point, and quiet at another
3. Imaginative yet practical
4. Rebellious and independent
5. Open and sensitive
6. Passionate about what they do
In entrepreneurship, creativity is one of the essential ingredients to make one effective at tackling any endeavor he engages himself in. Many windows of opportunity will be made available to a person who has a knack for creativity. A person who can look at an ordinary object and be able to think of bright ideas to use it with has the future in his hands.
Remember that a huge part of one’s entrepreneurial success is based on his ability to think ahead, to construct a vision that other people are unable to make. With creativity, you can make this possible.
Below are three important traits of a creative entrepreneur:
1. High level of intellect
A creative person is a very intelligent individual. His mind can process anything quickly and understand what is going around him without a problem. He likes to think and spends time analyzing things in the hope of discovering new things.
2. Love for learning
A creative person with entrepreneurial abilities is constantly learning and honing his skills and abilities. He is often curious about the things that happen around him and does the best he can to understand. He seeks the truth and at the same time he also considers possibilities. He likes to be kept in the loop and needs to be updated with everything that involves his endeavors.
3. Thinks outside the box
Entrepreneurial creativity involves resourcefulness and being able to concoct new ideas and solutions to address concerns, problems, and needs. He sees great things where others fail to do so and he often sees things from different perspectives in order to find the best possible answer.
How to become a Creative Entrepreneur
While some people have always shown creativity in their works, ideas and behavior even at a very young age, this is something you can still develop and improve anytime. Here are some ways to be creative:
1. Do not limit yourself. You need to believe that there are limitless possibilities and it is important that you give yourself permission to touch and entertain ideas that you did not know even existed. You must develop a mindset that knows no boundaries and believe that you can do anything, and you will.
2. Look to the future. Do not dwell too much on the past; use it as a guide and as a learning experience but focus on the future and avoid thinking the traditional way.
3. Take note of your ideas. We may have great minds but our memory may sometimes fail us. Make sure you write down the ideas as you formulate them otherwise you will just end up forgetting them. No matter how weird, how strange, how impossible- write these ideas down.
4. Act on it. Other people have great ideas but they never do anything about it. They simply think and talk about these ideas but do not get around to act on them. As a result, their ideas simply go waste. If you have great ideas in your head, it is always important that you commit yourself towards making those ideas into reality.