Small Business Tips AND Free Inventory Management Software
How can a rubber duck solve your small business conundrums? What does a rubber duck know about your business? As it happens, the duck doesn’t need to know anything to solve your problems. It just has to be there to listen. As small business owners ourselves, we understand what it means to bounce ideas off others - even if they're inanimate. We did this a lot when creating our free inventory management software for small business. That's why our free inventory management software is easy to use and is available hassle free.
The rubber duck solution isn’t a new idea. It’s been around for quite awhile in various iterations. The basic principle is this, when you have a question or a problem that you can’t solve ask the duck before you ask anyone else. When we were first building our free inventory management software, half-thought questions arose all the time. So we instituted the rubber duck policy.
The duck was our friend when creating our free inventory management software in 2009.
Some businesses even have a physical duck, others use the concept metaphorically. The end result can be the same. “Asking the duck” forces you to compose your question out loud. To not just think it, but to verbalize it. By putting it into words you are thinking it through more fully. Often as you work through phrasing the question you will hear at least part of the solution. “A-HA!” If you are in fact able to answer your own question you will have saved valuable time - both your own and someone else’s. If not, you still will have worked through the question so that when you do ask a coworker for insight you may be more clear and concise with your question.
When a problem arises that doesn’t have a quick solution it’s sometimes hard to determine how much time to spend trying to solve it on your own. When should you ask for help? Who should you ask? Having the rubber duck as a resource can be beneficial in this situation as well. While you might be hesitant to bother a coworker, there is no such concern with the duck. If you think you need help, just go ask the duck. The duck isn’t going to judge whether you spent enough time searching for a solution on your own or not. The duck isn’t going to laugh or think less of you for asking a silly question. After you have posed your question to the duck you can feel more confident taking it to someone else.
The duck can help promote divergent thinking as well. Often we don’t share some of our ideas because we fear that others will think they are crazy. Too outlandish, unworkable or just plain bad. Again, the duck won’t judge. Sharing your idea with the duck allows you to hear it. Did it sound as silly when you said it outloud as you thought it would when you came up with it? Maybe not. If you talk to the duck as though it were a real person you will find yourself fleshing out the idea, adding critical details to provide a complete solution. As you do, you may identify some flaws with your idea. You may also realize that your solution sounds better than you expected. Now you may be ready to take that next step and share your idea with others.
Talking to a rubber duck may sound like a crazy idea, but it is one that can save your small business time and money. It may even be the crazy idea that leads to more radical thinking and big time solutions that jump start your business growth. Give it a try! What have you got to lose? And if you haven't already, check out our free inventory management software and let us know your thoughts on how we can make it better.
