Communication is key<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhether it\u2019s your first startup or not, a new startup overall can mean a new team that has to figure out how to work together, how to be the most productive, and not to step on anyone\u2019s toes. Even in the best companies, communication between members of a team can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why one of the <\/em>keys, the best tricks, to approaching a problem is to have an ironclad communication system with your team. It directly contributed to your business\u2019 success. Communication efficiency varies from team to team. Some do well under regular meetings. Others prefer online chat rooms. That way, it\u2019s easy to contact each other, share and send files, and get the word out.<\/p>\n\n\n\nManage Your Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDid you know that one of the biggest issues that entrepreneurs face is actually poor time management? And that doesn\u2019t just apply to how many hours they work or how many hours they sleep. That, too, applies to problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It happens; a startup is faced with more problems than they have the time or resources to properly solve in a way they\u2019re familiar with. Of course, most would try to solve all of these problems all at once. In hindsight, this probably looked efficient or productive, but the results say otherwise. The less you manage your time, the more you try to tackle, the more you spread yourself too thin; the weaker your solutions are. In the meantime, precious time that could be spent on more beneficial work is wasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what\u2019s the solution? How to approach this seemingly insurmountable hurdle? You can\u2019t just ignore one problem in favor of another, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, actually, it depends. A big part of being an entrepreneur is seeing what the most efficient things are and what aren\u2019t. What is truly urgent? And what can be delayed until tomorrow? Is there someone that can help take the load off?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Be a Jack of All Trades<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSpeaking of someone that can help take a little of the stress load off, one way to approach solving most common startup problems involves what not <\/em>to do, and it\u2019s trying to be a jack of all trades. Don\u2019t forget that the saying states \u201cJack of all trades, master of none<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nA lot of CEOs warn that after experience, spreading themselves too thin, dealing with busy work and the more administrative type tasks greatly damaged their problem-solving abilities. An entrepreneur knows that their time is significant, and it shouldn\u2019t be largely overtaken by busy work or smaller tasks; not when bigger issues are rising elsewhere. You\u2019ll later see that your productivity will even dramatically increase once you get the handle of delegating those tasks or outsourcing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another plus delegating offers is the indispensable advice that another expert can offer you. You never know; maybe they could be the ones to help you overcome the problem your startup faces. Stop trying to do everything on your own. A helping hand makes all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plan Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYou would think that most challenges your startup may face are unexpected ones, but you would be surprised to hear that you can have contingencies in plan so that you won\u2019t be so caught off guard. Plan ahead as much as possible. Cover your bases: sales, funding, developing, et cetera, from the get-go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These worst case strategies shouldn\u2019t be an afterthought. Of course, you can\u2019t prepare your startup for every scenario, but you can <\/em>prepare yourself for what you\u2019re going to have to do if push comes to shove. As they say, \u201cif you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nTake an Analytical Approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen in doubt, going for an analytical problem solving approach will rarely lead you astray. What analytical problem solving methods do is dive into the details of a problem. They then are able to examine all components and evaluate them, determine what\u2019s missing, and prepare ahead for the next steps. Analytical thinkers are more confident in their problem solving, and that is because they know their decisions are supported by careful planning and thoughts. True, their decision may not move quickly, but they\u2019re the most effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SCAMPER<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSCAMPER is an acronym. It stands for substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate and reverse. It\u2019s a collection of techniques introduced by Bob Eberle. And you can choose to use just one of the seven techniques or employ all seven to solve a problem concerning a product or service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first is \u201csubstitute,\u201d and it encourages entrepreneurs towards looking deeper into the problem. If it\u2019s something wrong with a product or service, consider substituting it for something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next is \u201ccombine.\u201d Ask yourself if you could improve this problem by combining it with another service or product. Or could you combine several solutions together to come up with the ultimate one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAdapt.\u201d Could this problem be solved if you adapted your product\/service to another audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then \u201cmodify.\u201d Which features could be more beneficial if you modify them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPut to another use.\u201d Could your product be put to another, better use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEliminate.\u201d What are some features that you can eliminate that will ultimately improve the product?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, you want to think about \u201creverse.\u201d This is where you consider reversing or rearranging your technique and changing the order of your production line\u2019s process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n