It’s never easy to innovate from a blank canvas, but innovating doesn’t have to be hard!
The way to innovate is to eject ourselves from our existing thinking patterns and start looking at, and seeing, the problems and opportunities in our business from a completely different angle to what we’re accustomed.
One of the easiest ways to disrupt our own thinking patterns is to draw on the disruptive ideas of others!
It’s about becoming more resourceful with the way we think. We don’t always need to come up with new ideas, we just need to know how to find new ideas already out there.
When we see some of the smart (and often very simple) ideas implemented in different areas of business that are getting radical results, these can spark new ideas for our own business.
Today we have the world at our fingertips through the internet so there’s no shortage of new ideas to draw from. Just one example of how companies are breaking the mold is Entrepreneur.com’s slideshow, ‘Businesses Disrupting Industries with Their Brilliant Ideas — And What You Can Learn From Them’
Here are some smart ideas from the slideshow that stood out for me…
Slide 2: If your costs drop, drop your prices
The online retailer Everlane passes savings in production costs onto their customers. For example, they shaved $25 off their best-selling cashmere crew, and sales rocketed by 200%. They’re completely transparent about why they cut prices, which means if costs go up and they need to increase prices again, they can be transparent about it and get buy-in. The radical transparency and fair exchange in which they operate is having a significant impact on their bottom line results.
Slide 8: Charge your customers what they can afford to pay
Everytable is very transparent with their pricing model and sets different prices for different territories. One of their ‘grab and go’ meals costs $8 in Santa Monica, but only costs $4 in South LA. They believe healthy food should be affordable for everyone and their sentiment resonates well with their customers.
Slide 18: Monetize power naps
Recharge rents rooms by the minute. This is especially useful for business people on the go who just need a place to have a quick nap, shower or some downtime. Recharge rooms can be booked at hotels including W and Hilton for up to $3 per minute, and can earn hotels more than the per-night price.
Click here to read the full list of 20 ideas presented in the slideshow.
Use the power of Google to innovate
Next time you’re stuck on solving a problem, use the power of Google to quickly point you to some of the amazing business ideas and solutions people have come up with around the world and cut out the initial pain of coming up with ideas yourself.
Here’s to being even more resourceful about finding smart solutions to your business challenges and enjoying the rewards of being more relevant and competitive.
Carmen Wilde
Business Coach & Breakthrough Specialist
P.S. Today to differentiate and to stay ahead of the game, your business has to evolve constantly. The kind of resourceful thinking required to do this is a skill that can be learnt. Click here for a free exploration call to discover how I help business leaders master and leverage this crucial skill.