Q: I was at a small business networking meeting this morning and came away more depressed than energized. Everybody else seemed to be full of new projects and newfangled ideas for their home-based businesses. I don't have the time or energy to think about new ideas, let alone initiate them. I was at the meeting to find a few new clients and that's it, not talk to a bunch of day dreamers.

A: You've not actually asked me a question, but I will answer it anyway! As a small business owner, you simply must make time for creative thinking - whether its to solve current problems or find new business opportunities. Otherwise, your business will get stale and will eventually wither and die.

Creative thinking and strategic planning are not a waste of time. Here are some ways to foster creativity, which will help your business develop without taking up a lot of your time.

Write down your ideas. Keep a small notebook with you at all times and record even fleeting, half-baked thoughts. You never know which ideas will develop into something in the future. If a notebook is too much trouble (or, if like me, you do your best thinking in the shower or driving your car!) use a mini cassette recorder. Or at least train yourself to collect in a file folder the scraps of paper on which you jot down random ideas.

Ask questions. Taking things for granted is a sure way to kill creativity. So cultivate the habit of curiosity. As a writer, I get away with asking audacious questions. But I'm always amazed at how many people over the age of two fail to question even the most basic of assumptions because their mothers told them curiosity killed the cat.

Be optimistic. Creativity thrives on wishing for more, so learn the value of wishful thinking. New inventions and new business opportunities arise from the wish to improve the status quo.

Keep trying to generate ideas. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're not a creative person, or that creativity isn't an important component of business success. Similarly, don't get discouraged if you don't generate a big idea after a few weeks. Seemingly fruitless lines of thought can eventually blossom into something productive. So don't let the naysayers derail your enthusiasm by telling you an idea is stupid.

These new habits will, once cultivated, allow you to generate new ideas and fresh perspectives on your home-based business business. And that's a must if your business is to be really successful, no matter how big or small.