Sometimes taking care of business in the business-to-business business means people can get wrapped up in other peoples’ business. More specifically, we tend to focus heavily on what competitors’ or partners’ communications look like—browsing through trade magazines or other places that our own ads and messages may appear. Not that this is a bad thing. In fact, it’s a good thing. But, looking outside of your business is where ingenuity happens.

So, I suggest you remove the horse blinders on your business-to-business projects and look in all directions for inspiration and ideas. Here is one that caught my attention lately.

Children’s Books

Some of us parents have an excuse to read them again and again and again, for others this could be your chance. Often these books are printed with really extravagant techniques using special papers, inks, even sound and animation. Sure, your client is a widget company that might question your sanity when you use the animated teddy bear in their annual report. They might not mind, however, if you took the same technique and used it to show how their widget works, moves and behaves in a visually engaging way.

So, where do you find inspiration? Any good children’s books you’ve read lately (I’m always looking)? How many times can you use “business” in one sentence? Please share in the comments.