Have you been operating your business for a few years now? Has the initial excitement of starting your own enterprise worn off? Now is the perfect time to inject some new life and new ideas into your business. Perhaps it's time to expand your product or service offering, create bigger profits, or branch out into a whole new area. Where can you find inspiration?

1. Travel

Take yourself on a study tour. Visit another city or area and have a look at businesses that are similar to yours, then see what they're doing differently.

For example, if you run a hairdressing salon, check out how local salons merchandise their hair products and any clever ideas they might use to entice passers-by to become customers. Make an appointment and enjoy being a customer. You might pick up some good tips for your own business.

If you're far enough away not to be in direct competition, call ahead and invite the business owner out for a coffee. You could exchange ideas so you'll both benefit.

2. Attend Trade Shows and Exhibitions

Another place to exchange ideas is at a trade show where you'll find a huge amount of information and inspiration. You may discover new products that will enhance your current offering, or better ways of doing what you're doing now. Talk with the people in the booths who'll be more than happy to tell you about their area of expertise.

Visit trade shows aimed at an industry that is slightly different to your own. For example, if you own a car sales business, try visiting a boat show. Boat salespeople probably share similar problems to your own, but they might solve them in different ways that are cheaper or more efficient. You'll be able to use this knowledge to provide your business with a point of difference or to make cost savings.

3. Look in the "Wrong" Place

In addition to looking at a business or industry that has some similarity to yours, try looking at one that is completely different to the one you're used to.

For example, if you own an accountancy firm that needs to maintain a loyal customer base what strategies can you use? Have a look at how dentists keep their clients coming back -- they send out reminder notices to their customers each six months to have a check up. Could you send a reminder to your clients at tax time? Would your clients appreciate regular updates about how changes in legislation might affect their business?

All businesses have problems and challenges and they solve them in different ways. Discover new ideas in the differences.

4. Learn Something New

John Maynard Keynes once said, "The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones..."

Escape from your old ideas by learning something new. Enroll in a course to learn a new skill or upgrade your existing skills. What you choose to learn might be directly related to your business, or something completely new. Either way, stimulating your brain will help those new ideas to flow.

Your learning project needn't be expensive or time-consuming. Your local community college will offer reasonably priced courses that might run over a weekend or for one night each week.

You'll also find free courses on the internet. For example, if you want to acquire basic marketing skills, have a look at the free site, Smart Skills Online http://www.sdi.qld.gov.au/virtual/index.cfm.

Sometimes if we need new ideas, the best place to look is somewhere, well, new!

5. Join a Business Organization

Another way to discover new ideas is by joining a business organization. These groups will give you access to specialist knowledge about your industry or market. Many provide you with opportunities to form relationships with other members.

I belonged to one for business women that had breakfast meetings with inspiring guest speakers. I always came away from these meetings buzzing with new ideas.

6. Look For New Trends

Where I live, drought is a huge problem and there are severe water restrictions. Over the last two years many plant nurseries have closed because they simply couldn't afford to buy enough water to keep their plant stocks alive.

The clever businesses that are still operating recognized the trend early. They saw that customers would become interested in plants that could survive on very little water. They moved away from selling turf because customers would be more interested in paving and mulching than an expansive green lawn. They moved out of water guzzling irrigation systems and started selling rain water tanks and grey water recycling systems.

Look at current and future trends for ideas on how your business could benefit from changes in consumer behavior.

Not sure where to find these trends? Start with these:

* Read your local newspaper and take note of what is being regularly reported on.
* Look at the Letters to the Editor in newspapers and magazines.
* Join some internet discussion groups or look at blogs to see what everyone is writing about.
* Take a look at the Trendwatching website http://www.trendwatching.com/ for inspiration.
* Do a search on Faith Popcorn who is a trend expert and see her predictions for this year.

7. Ask Your Customers

Some of the best new ideas for your business will come from your customers. Ask your customers what they like about your business and what changes or improvements they'd like to see. You could approach your most valuable customers one-on-one to ask their opinions. Alternatively, create a survey and ask customers to fill it in.

The completed surveys will be a gold mine of new ideas and inspirations for your business. Even criticisms can help you think of ways of improving your business.

8. Tip Number 8

Wasn't this article supposed to have 7 tips? The seven tips above are all action based. Tip number 8 is a quiet one. Remember that sometimes, just removing yourself to a peaceful place and doing nothing, will be exactly what you need to generate the best new ideas for your business.