Innovate or Stagnate Part 2 of 2
In part 1 we discussed the importance of taking the "Me Too" out of your business. Equally important to growing your business is innovation. Unless you are continually looking for ways to improve your offering and constantly implementing change, you will eventually stagnate and cease growing.
Customers do not always know what they want. As a business owner, it is important that you "Think Out of the Box" when exploring change. Do not be afraid to try new ways of doing things or even creating new offerings. Sometimes the change may take awhile before it is accepted. Confidence in what you do is a critical element here.
Henry Ford has been attributed with this statement, "If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said faster horses." It is up to you as the business owner to challenge the conventional and implement change on a regular basis. By doing so, you keep your product or service fresh and your competition always chasing you.
Some ideas may not work, others may take time to catch on, but some will sparkle and bring customers your way. It is also important to market the change as often as you can. Send out press releases, sell the benefits (not the change) to your customers, and get your employees excited about delivering the change.
Change is not a by product of doing business. Successful companies make change the goal of their business. On my web site I have a prominently displayed quote by Sun Tsu, from the Art of War. It says, "Adaptation means not clinging to fixed methods, but changing appropriately according to events, acting as is suitable."
Remember the axiom, "The only constant in this world is change." Don't be caught chasing. Lead with innovation.
