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Mind Mapping For Small Business Growth

Mind Mapping For Small Business Growth

Mind maps are great planning tools, whether you're planning a training program, a staff meeting or a Christmas party, or whether you're working alone or with others.

They offer a great way for groups of people to develop ideas or revise existing projects. They can be used to brainstorm any topic - marketing strategies, sales techniques, product development, even full-on business planning. (Yes, my business plan is a mind map blue-tacked to the wall!)

The illustration at right is a mind map of the concept of mind mapping!

It is reproduced with permission from James Cook University, and is adapted from the work of Tony Buzan, who invented the concept as it is most widely known today.
The basic idea is simple:

Put your main idea or theme in the middle and brainstorm it outwards, using colour and graphics to help.

It’s a non-linear way of working that helps you visualise trails between ideas.


Like to have a go? Get yourself some sheets of blank A3 sized paper and a pack of colourful marker pens - the inexpensive Faber-Castell Connector Pens are ideal - and follow the guidelines below.

How To Do A Mind Map

Mind mapping (or concept mapping) involves writing down a central idea and thinking up new and related ideas which radiate out from the centre. By focussing on key ideas written down in your own words, and then looking for branches out and connections between the ideas, you are mapping knowledge in a manner which will help you understand and remember new information.

Look For Relationships

Use lines, colours, arrows, branches or some other way of showing connections between the ideas generated on your mind map. These relationships may be important in you understanding new information or in constructing a plan of action.

By personalising the map with your own symbols and designs you will be constructing visual and meaningful relationships between ideas that will assist your recall and understanding.

Draw Quickly On Unlined Paper, Without Pausing, Judging, Or Editing

These things promote linear thinking, but the idea of mind mapping is to think creatively in a non-linear manner. There is plenty of time to modify the information later, but at first it is important to get every possibility into the mind map. Sometimes it is one obscure possibility that becomes the key to your decisions.

Use Capitals

Use capitals to encourage yourself (or your group) to get down only the key points. Capitals are also easier to read in a diagram. You may wish to write some explanatory notes in lower case. Some people do this when they revisit their mind map at a later time, while others jot down such things as follow-on tasks that will be necessary.

Put The Main Idea In The Centre

Most people find it useful to turn their page on the side and do a mind map in "landscape" format. With the main idea or topic in the middle of the page, this gives the maximum space for other ideas to radiate out from the centre.

Leave Lots Of Space

Some of the most useful mind maps are those which are added to over a period of time. After the initial drawing of the mind map you may wish to highlight things, add information or add questions for the duration of a subject right up until exam time. For this reason it is a good idea to leave lots of space.





Mind Mapping For Small Business Growth - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Regier's Website.

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Joe Dager
Joe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website

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Cheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur.  Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well.  A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles.  She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide-  to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being.  Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com

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John has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center.
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John Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website

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Susan Regier
(Visit Susan's Website) Susan Regier has helped hundreds of businesses find their authentic voice and get the word out. As the owner/head writer of Vantage One Writing (www.vantageonewriting.com )Susan works directly with entrepreneurs to find their core essence and develop a compelling marketing message for various mediums, including brochures, Web site content, media releases, articles, and professional profiles/bios. In 2009, she launched www.SusanRegier.com to sell how-to informational products based on her successful hands-on workshops. These products are invaluable for entrepreneurs starting their business or for those who would simply prefer to do the work themselves. They are essential for freelance writers, virtual assistants, coaches and marketers who are in the business to help others achieve exponential results. Susan is committed to connecting people to one another and to valuable business resources. Networking has been a way of life for Susan, President of Networking Today Franchise Inc.(www.networkingtoday.com ) and the publisher/editor of Networking Today London, Ontario (established 1998); Canada’s fastest growing ezine.

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