<p><img style="margin:5px 5px 5px 15px;" align="right" src="http://s338.photobucket.com/albums/n430/spicecomments/creativity/00009.jpg" width="224" height="177">As entrepreneurs, business owners, employees, or just as people, we all face challenges.&nbsp; And often those challenges involve the BIG M - money.&nbsp; When it comes to growth, you need resources.&nbsp; Money for marketing, for inventories, for systems, and oh yeah, groceries.</p> <p>When I started my business in 2002, I went from the world of leveraging the corporate pocketbook to dipping into my own pocket - and let me tell you - it was NOT anywhere as deep.&nbsp; It was a problem.&nbsp; So I had to get creative.</p> <p>&nbsp; <strong>Here's an example I shared with the Society of Women Engineers last month</strong>.</p> <p>&nbsp; </p> <div style="display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:7f3dbaed-668a-4804-b961-9dc1588441b8" class="wlWriterSmartContent"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOgVdFqN53I]</div></div> <p></p> <p>There are lots of things we can do to find or develop the resources we need to help our businesses grow - even when times are tight.&nbsp; </p> <p><strong>Here are a few ideas...</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Talented Friends and Family</strong> may be just the thing you need to help you through a rough spot.&nbsp; Don't hit them up for cash.&nbsp; Ask for a little help with something they are good at. (I'm not sure I would have survived in those early days without access to a talented IT Guy.&nbsp; Lucky for me I was MARRIED to him.&nbsp; :-)&nbsp; Just remember - exchanging favors means that there is an equal balance in the relationship.&nbsp; If you are all take and no give...you might end up with no friends to call on.  <li><strong>Barter</strong> -&nbsp; True <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter">bartering</a> is a much more formal exchange of products or services.&nbsp; Sometime they are arranged one-on-one or they my occur through a more formal process using a Barter Exchange.&nbsp; But just so you know, formal barter exchanges do get reported to the IRS via for 1099's - so it is important to keep track.&nbsp; You can <a href="http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=187920,00.html">learn more here</a>.  <li><strong>Leverage existing resources in a creative way</strong>.&nbsp; Think of a skill, some excess space,&nbsp; or a&nbsp; resource you might have that is more than what you need.&nbsp; Instead of letting it sit unused, leverage it into something someone else can use in exchange for something that you might need.  <li><strong>Take your show on the road.</strong>&nbsp; Get out there and talk to people.&nbsp; It might be in free presentations to local groups and organizations or like I did on the speakers circuit.&nbsp; Not comfortable speaking in front of a crowd?&nbsp; Join your local <a href="http://www.toastmasters.org/">Toastmasters</a> group and tune up your skills.&nbsp; Get to be good at delivering your message - you never know who might be in that audience.  <li><strong>Utilize Social Media</strong> - <a href="http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/09/is-twitter-part-of-your-business-strategy-should-it-be.html">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CorePurpose">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2009/11/sorry-im-not-a-lion.html">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/joankw">YouTube</a>, and many other tools can help you get your message out to potential&nbsp; customers.&nbsp; Compared to traditional advertising this is a much less expensive way to get the word out and the business in.&nbsp; Most of the tools are free or close to it - but <a href="http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2010/01/free---isnt.html">remember it is NOT free</a> - you are simply choosing to invest your time instead of your dollars.&nbsp; Watch for the return on investment or ROI just as you would if you were investing cash,</li></ul> <p><strong>The Time Money Continuum</strong></p> <p>To be very clear, there is great value in being able to go to the experts to get the products and services that you need and PAY for them.&nbsp; Very often this will move you faster.&nbsp; They do what they do best while you are out doing what YOU do best.&nbsp; There is a time/money continuum.&nbsp; You can invest your dollars to get things done and often get it done FASTER than if you go the Do it Yourself or DIY route.&nbsp; But, if you do not have the money, some creativity, a bit of elbow grease, and a network of talented friends can make a BIG difference.&nbsp; </p> <p>So if you've got a problem, get creative.&nbsp; You just may find you have "created" your solution.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay Tuned...</p> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style="display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:d28b5e44-6a7a-40af-a132-dd4b7a707678" class="wlWriterSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker" rel="tag">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose" rel="tag">CorePurpose</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurs" rel="tag">Entrepreneurs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/StartUps" rel="tag">StartUps</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/BARTER" rel="tag">BARTER</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Barter%20Exchanges" rel="tag">Barter Exchanges</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/leveraging%20resources" rel="tag">leveraging resources</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/solving%20problems" rel="tag">solving problems</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/problem%20solving" rel="tag">problem solving</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/business" rel="tag">business</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/small%20business" rel="tag">small business</a></div>