My tip for recommended reading is not a book, but an idea. As most of you know, the day-to-day life of a salesperson is hectic to say the least. It’s not any different for myself. Many years ago, I checked out a book on tape from my local library for a long driving trip. I enjoyed it so much, that I turned it into part of my daily routine. I check out 2-3 CD’s or cassettes a month and listen to them in my car each day. I listen to 25-30 books (motivational, history, biographies, adventure, etc.) a year this way, and it’s free! Think about all the time a salesperson wastes driving while listening to sports talk or endless radio advertisements. Instead, you can listen to books you would have never found the time to read. Give it a try!

Daryl Sisk is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for A Plus Benefits, Inc. You can contact Daryl at dsisk@aplusbenefits.com

I haven’t run into a business owner in the last year that has suggested that business innovation isn’t necessary. Pricing pressure resulting from intensifying competition, the break down of geographic barriers, recruiting woes and several other factors make succeeding more and more difficult. In addition, these same factors require business owners to approach challenges in more creative ways.

The following text is the first bit of a series on the topic of company creativity and innovation. I hope it will provide some practical ideas for your business.

The Idea Book

When I was attending grad school I was introduced to a business owner/innovator that kept a notebook for his random ideas. He informed me that he had filled several books of business ideas from which he occasionally combined thoughts into business concepts. He then took those concepts and created profitable businesses.

His idea inspired me to do the same thing. So within a day of speaking with him I went and bought a composition notebook for about $1.50 and have been writing my strange business ideas down. I still haven’t completely filled my first book but some of my thoughts recorded in my book have morphed into strategies that A Plus has implemented.

You may be thinking that buying a composition notebook is a fairly unoriginal idea for a blog that is supposed to promote company creativity. Before you draw a conclusion go out and give it shot. Think about how many times you’ve said to yourself after witnessing the success of a company, “I thought of that same thing 10 years ago.” Start writing ideas when they come to you. Like me, you may be surprised about what you come up with.

Jake Lunt is the General Manager of Idaho Operations for A Plus Benefits Inc.

Coming up with brilliant blog entries is always a challenge for me. It seems as though I come up with creative ideas and then forget them before I have a chance to write them down.

I know a few people who have found an interesting solution to this problem: the little black book. The trick is to always carry a little black book (I guess it could be any color, but in this case it is black) so you have somewhere to write things down. The best part is it doesn’t have to be organized or make sense to anyone but you. It is just a dumping ground for all of the crazy ideas that come to mind throughout the day.

Your little black book doesn’t have to be for blog ideas. You could use one to write down ideas for your business, possible investment opportunities, marketing strategies, or anything that requires a little creative thinking.

Great ideas always come at odd times, so it is best to be prepared and have your little black book in hand.

Samantha Bushard is an HR employee at the Idaho office of A Plus Benefits, Inc.