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Member You - How Can You Be Innovative?
Logos play an important part in marketing and brand recognition. Take, for example, Nike’s “Swoosh,” Mercedes-Benz’s “Star,” or Target’s “Bullseye.” These logos have become immediately recognizable as identifying the source of particular goods and services. Typically, companies will invest a lot of capital developing a flashy or eye-catching logo in order to build strong brand recognition. However, in building this brand recognition, companies, especially small businesses, may sometimes overlook the importance of protecting their logos through the trademark registration process.Many trademark applications are filed using simple word marks in a standard character drawing. The standard character form is appropriate when the applicant wishes to register a mark that consists only of one or more words, letters, numbers, common forms of punctuation, or combinations of any of these elements, without any particular stylization. On the other hand, a trademark applicat
I'm not so sure if I totally agree with this, but I think I understand where he is coming from. If we wait until our product or service is absolutely perfect, we will probably never get it off the ground.
Life is a journey full of learning experiences. It doesn't matter what road we are on, if we just sit in the middle of it, sooner or later we will get knocked down.
Tip No6 Polarise people
Don't be afraid to polarise the consumer base. You need to be clear about the market your in. Just think of the most successful business out there, they frequently generate polarity. If you were to stand on a street corner and look at all the different makes and sizes of cars that go past - they are all generally quality vehicles, but BMW has a different market to the Ford Ka.
Tip No7 Let a hundred flowers blossom
Even if the wrong people are currently your customers in large numbers, you still don't have a problem, according to Kawasaki. You have to plant flowers everywhere, because you don't necessarily know who your next or best customers will be.
<One universal and noteworthy characteristic of human beings is to seek accolades for their accomplishments. From childhood to maturity we are captivated by the lust for recognition in some form or the other especially for remarkable work (if any) done by us. Bearing this essential human feature in mind, Homo sapiens have invented diverse ways to compliment a person’s achievements.Speech is a viable means to honor a person in our day-to-day life. But apart usual living in areas like corporate sector, words are not enough to regard an employee’s outstanding contribution; there ought to be something more to proclaim his attainment. For this, the corporate world relies largely on awards. An award is an ideal way to express the unspoken feelings of one and many other individuals towards its recipient. Since the corporate prizes are not mere an emblem of appreciation and gratitude but also an instrument to boost up one’s morale and trigger further progress, they sh
One good thing that came from it was meeting up with Suzy Rogers of the Women in Education Network - she is someone I met many years ago when I helped her organisation to successfully apply for Lottery funding. Suzy invited me to speak to her organisation at one of their dinners and this I did a couple of weeks ago.
Back to innovation...
I recently read about renowned entrepreneur, Guy Kawasaki who outlines 10 Tips for Successful Innovation.
Tip No1 Make Meaning
One of the most important keys to innovation is to make meaning - to develop meaningful products, projects and services for long term success. Innovation is about improving people's lives and making them more productive.
The secret here is to plan where you want to be in the long term not just about looking for ways to make money fast. You need to think about why you want to do something, consider the starting point, what you are good at and what might get in the way of your success.
Tip No2 Make a Mantra
A business or organisation's mantra shouldn't consist of a superfluous mission statement, as these are often too long or not memorable or indicative of where the focus lies. Instead you should come up with a few words that simply explain why you exist. I'm blowing my own trumpet I know, but "Moving from dreaming to action", really does sum up what the Enfys Acumen is about.
For stodgy mission statements you may as well use the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator - it's free, it's quick and it requires no meetings or awaydays to create. Kawasaki's philosophy is:
"Mantras not mission statements. Mission statements are bull!"
Tip No3 Jump to the next curve
Don't limit your innovations to incremental changes of what you already do, look ahead and think about what kinds of problems could be solved or needs met by new ways of doing things. Think outside the box. As an old Scout, I stress the need to Be Prepared.
Tip No4 Roll the DICEE
Kawasaki has come with this acronym:
Depth: Great products and services are deep and will grow with you along the way. He gives the example of the Reef Fanning Sandal which has a bottle opener built into the sole - it serves more than one purpose: it covers your feet and opens your drinks. "That's what" Kawasaki says "makes a deep product."
Intelligent: You have to actively anticipate the products and services people will need. Panasonic invented a torch that will work with three different kinds of batteries. They recognised a common problem - people routinely have batteries and torches, but not the right batteries for the torches. So Panasonic developed a torch that accepts different battery sizes in anticipation of the dilemma.
Completeness: Look at some of the brands that give you a quality service or product. What makes them so good? It is not just the item is it? It is all the other things that come with it - customer service, ancillaries, add-ons, the little things that add value to the purchase.
Always remember that it is the little extras: making people feel special, the willingness to go the extra mile, the follow-up call that are huge.
Elegance: Look no further than the iPod Nano! MP3 players have been around for years, loaded with buttons, but Apple designed one wheel to serve the same functions - making the iPod far more elegant.
Elegance can come in all kinds of packages however - think about what your appearance says about your business or organisation or clients, how you communicate, how you live your life, the list is endless.
Emotive: Innovation is about creating brand loyalty - people need to develop an emotional attachment with what you do. Remember people are more likely to do business, with people they know, like and trust.
Tip No5 Don't worry, be crappy!
Kawasaki says that "Realistically we live in a marketplace where you never have to say your sorry. It's a fact of life that you ship first and test later".
I'm not so sure if I totally agree with this, but I think I understand where he is coming from. If we wait until our product or service is absolutely perfect, we will probably never get it off the ground.
Life is a journey full of learning experiences. It doesn't matter what road we are on, if we just sit in the middle of it, sooner or later we will get knocked down.
Tip No6 Polarise people
Don't be afraid to polarise the consumer base. You need to be clear about the market your in. Just think of the most successful business out there, they frequently generate polarity. If you were to stand on a street corner and look at all the different makes and sizes of cars that go past - they are all generally quality vehicles, but BMW has a different market to the Ford Ka.
Tip No7 Let a hundred flowers blossom
Even if the wrong people are currently your customers in large numbers, you still don't have a problem, according to Kawasaki. You have to plant flowers everywhere, because you don't necessarily know who your next or best customers will be.
The other day I was out for a mountain bike ride in a nearby wilderness area. As I neared the woods, I noticed a police SUV stopped by two bikers. It looked like the police were talking to them about something, then the car took off down a trail in the direction of a dense part of the forest. When I reached the bikers that had been stopped by the police car, they flagged me down and told me that a bear had been spotted in the area. The police asked them advertise the presence of the bear to other bikers.The couple seemed a bit excited. They explained that they were new to the area and asked if bear sightings were common. I told them that I had been riding in the area for fifteen years and had only seen bear twice. I thought this would reassure them that bear were rare. They took it as confirmation that a bear was a very real threat and took off in the opposite direction. I thought I would explore a bit more and went down the trail in the direction of the poli
Tip No1 Make Meaning
One of the most important keys to innovation is to make meaning - to develop meaningful products, projects and services for long term success. Innovation is about improving people's lives and making them more productive.
The secret here is to plan where you want to be in the long term not just about looking for ways to make money fast. You need to think about why you want to do something, consider the starting point, what you are good at and what might get in the way of your success.
Tip No2 Make a Mantra
A business or organisation's mantra shouldn't consist of a superfluous mission statement, as these are often too long or not memorable or indicative of where the focus lies. Instead you should come up with a few words that simply explain why you exist. I'm blowing my own trumpet I know, but "Moving from dreaming to action", really does sum up what the Enfys Acumen is about.
For stodgy mission statements you may as well use the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator - it's free, it's quick and it requires no meetings or awaydays to create. Kawasaki's philosophy is:
"Mantras not mission statements. Mission statements are bull!"
Tip No3 Jump to the next curve
Don't limit your innovations to incremental changes of what you already do, look ahead and think about what kinds of problems could be solved or needs met by new ways of doing things. Think outside the box. As an old Scout, I stress the need to Be Prepared.
Tip No4 Roll the DICEE
Kawasaki has come with this acronym:
Depth: Great products and services are deep and will grow with you along the way. He gives the example of the Reef Fanning Sandal which has a bottle opener built into the sole - it serves more than one purpose: it covers your feet and opens your drinks. "That's what" Kawasaki says "makes a deep product."
Intelligent: You have to actively anticipate the products and services people will need. Panasonic invented a torch that will work with three different kinds of batteries. They recognised a common problem - people routinely have batteries and torches, but not the right batteries for the torches. So Panasonic developed a torch that accepts different battery sizes in anticipation of the dilemma.
Completeness: Look at some of the brands that give you a quality service or product. What makes them so good? It is not just the item is it? It is all the other things that come with it - customer service, ancillaries, add-ons, the little things that add value to the purchase.
Always remember that it is the little extras: making people feel special, the willingness to go the extra mile, the follow-up call that are huge.
Elegance: Look no further than the iPod Nano! MP3 players have been around for years, loaded with buttons, but Apple designed one wheel to serve the same functions - making the iPod far more elegant.
Elegance can come in all kinds of packages however - think about what your appearance says about your business or organisation or clients, how you communicate, how you live your life, the list is endless.
Emotive: Innovation is about creating brand loyalty - people need to develop an emotional attachment with what you do. Remember people are more likely to do business, with people they know, like and trust.
Tip No5 Don't worry, be crappy!
Kawasaki says that "Realistically we live in a marketplace where you never have to say your sorry. It's a fact of life that you ship first and test later".
I'm not so sure if I totally agree with this, but I think I understand where he is coming from. If we wait until our product or service is absolutely perfect, we will probably never get it off the ground.
Life is a journey full of learning experiences. It doesn't matter what road we are on, if we just sit in the middle of it, sooner or later we will get knocked down.
Tip No6 Polarise people
Don't be afraid to polarise the consumer base. You need to be clear about the market your in. Just think of the most successful business out there, they frequently generate polarity. If you were to stand on a street corner and look at all the different makes and sizes of cars that go past - they are all generally quality vehicles, but BMW has a different market to the Ford Ka.
Tip No7 Let a hundred flowers blossom
Even if the wrong people are currently your customers in large numbers, you still don't have a problem, according to Kawasaki. You have to plant flowers everywhere, because you don't necessarily know who your next or best customers will be.
<A relatively recent form of business allowed by state statute, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are popular because, as in a corporation, owners have limited personal liability for LLC debts and actions. In addition, LLCs offer the benefits of partnerships, namely management flexibility and pass-through taxation.In most states, LLC business owners - called members - may include individuals, corporations, other LLCs and foreign entities, with no maximum number of members. Most states also permit "single member" LLCs. An LLC can be managed by either by the members or by managers. Members can be compensated using distributions of profit or guaranteed payments. In addition, because LLC profits are considered earned income, managing members can deduct 100 percent of the health insurance premiums paid--up to their pro-rata share of LLC' net profit.Tax TreatmentReferred to by the IRS as “pass-through entities,” unlike corporations, LLCs are not separ
Tip No3 Jump to the next curve
Don't limit your innovations to incremental changes of what you already do, look ahead and think about what kinds of problems could be solved or needs met by new ways of doing things. Think outside the box. As an old Scout, I stress the need to Be Prepared.
Tip No4 Roll the DICEE
Kawasaki has come with this acronym:
Depth: Great products and services are deep and will grow with you along the way. He gives the example of the Reef Fanning Sandal which has a bottle opener built into the sole - it serves more than one purpose: it covers your feet and opens your drinks. "That's what" Kawasaki says "makes a deep product."
Intelligent: You have to actively anticipate the products and services people will need. Panasonic invented a torch that will work with three different kinds of batteries. They recognised a common problem - people routinely have batteries and torches, but not the right batteries for the torches. So Panasonic developed a torch that accepts different battery sizes in anticipation of the dilemma.
Completeness: Look at some of the brands that give you a quality service or product. What makes them so good? It is not just the item is it? It is all the other things that come with it - customer service, ancillaries, add-ons, the little things that add value to the purchase.
Always remember that it is the little extras: making people feel special, the willingness to go the extra mile, the follow-up call that are huge.
Elegance: Look no further than the iPod Nano! MP3 players have been around for years, loaded with buttons, but Apple designed one wheel to serve the same functions - making the iPod far more elegant.
Elegance can come in all kinds of packages however - think about what your appearance says about your business or organisation or clients, how you communicate, how you live your life, the list is endless.
Emotive: Innovation is about creating brand loyalty - people need to develop an emotional attachment with what you do. Remember people are more likely to do business, with people they know, like and trust.
Tip No5 Don't worry, be crappy!
Kawasaki says that "Realistically we live in a marketplace where you never have to say your sorry. It's a fact of life that you ship first and test later".
I'm not so sure if I totally agree with this, but I think I understand where he is coming from. If we wait until our product or service is absolutely perfect, we will probably never get it off the ground.
Life is a journey full of learning experiences. It doesn't matter what road we are on, if we just sit in the middle of it, sooner or later we will get knocked down.
Tip No6 Polarise people
Don't be afraid to polarise the consumer base. You need to be clear about the market your in. Just think of the most successful business out there, they frequently generate polarity. If you were to stand on a street corner and look at all the different makes and sizes of cars that go past - they are all generally quality vehicles, but BMW has a different market to the Ford Ka.
Tip No7 Let a hundred flowers blossom
Even if the wrong people are currently your customers in large numbers, you still don't have a problem, according to Kawasaki. You have to plant flowers everywhere, because you don't necessarily know who your next or best customers will be.
<Your restaurant gives you a reason to continue your money ventures all year round. No matter how cozy and beautiful your restaurant looks or delicious your food is, the bottom line is, you need a steady line of customer visits to keep your restaurant in business.Keep in mind that beautifying your restaurant alone isn’t going to help you increase or at least maintain a steady sale for your business. You have to improve your services, advertising techniques and marketing strategies so your customers continue to patronize and spread the word about your service.The first place where you want to market your restaurant and endorse your good food is at the hotels. This is one place where many newcomers, both travelers and foreigners stay most of the time and since they don’t know much about the place and good spot where to dine, make an arrangement with the hotel managers to include your restaurant, address and phone number on their ‘Attraction’ list. If poss
Always remember that it is the little extras: making people feel special, the willingness to go the extra mile, the follow-up call that are huge.
Elegance: Look no further than the iPod Nano! MP3 players have been around for years, loaded with buttons, but Apple designed one wheel to serve the same functions - making the iPod far more elegant.
Elegance can come in all kinds of packages however - think about what your appearance says about your business or organisation or clients, how you communicate, how you live your life, the list is endless.
Emotive: Innovation is about creating brand loyalty - people need to develop an emotional attachment with what you do. Remember people are more likely to do business, with people they know, like and trust.
Tip No5 Don't worry, be crappy!
Kawasaki says that "Realistically we live in a marketplace where you never have to say your sorry. It's a fact of life that you ship first and test later".
I'm not so sure if I totally agree with this, but I think I understand where he is coming from. If we wait until our product or service is absolutely perfect, we will probably never get it off the ground.
Life is a journey full of learning experiences. It doesn't matter what road we are on, if we just sit in the middle of it, sooner or later we will get knocked down.
Tip No6 Polarise people
Don't be afraid to polarise the consumer base. You need to be clear about the market your in. Just think of the most successful business out there, they frequently generate polarity. If you were to stand on a street corner and look at all the different makes and sizes of cars that go past - they are all generally quality vehicles, but BMW has a different market to the Ford Ka.
Tip No7 Let a hundred flowers blossom
Even if the wrong people are currently your customers in large numbers, you still don't have a problem, according to Kawasaki. You have to plant flowers everywhere, because you don't necessarily know who your next or best customers will be.
<You started your business with dreams of making millions. When the time comes to sell your business, you will want to keep as many of those after tax dollars as you possibly can in exchange for your blood, sweat and tears. Advance planning can make a big difference in the amount you pocket after the sale of your business.Consider this. Under prevailing tax rates, Owner A sells a business for $1 million in cash and nets $800,000 in after tax proceeds. Owner B also sells his/her business for $1 million in cash, yet only nets $500,000 (or less) in after tax proceeds. The difference in the cash you keep has everything to do with the form of ownership and elective tax status, the nature of the transaction, and the tax structuring that you and the buyer agree upon.One hundred percent of all businesses will experience a change of ownership. In some cases, this change will be involuntary and take the form of a bankruptcy or closure.
I'm not so sure if I totally agree with this, but I think I understand where he is coming from. If we wait until our product or service is absolutely perfect, we will probably never get it off the ground.
Life is a journey full of learning experiences. It doesn't matter what road we are on, if we just sit in the middle of it, sooner or later we will get knocked down.
Tip No6 Polarise people
Don't be afraid to polarise the consumer base. You need to be clear about the market your in. Just think of the most successful business out there, they frequently generate polarity. If you were to stand on a street corner and look at all the different makes and sizes of cars that go past - they are all generally quality vehicles, but BMW has a different market to the Ford Ka.
Tip No7 Let a hundred flowers blossom
Even if the wrong people are currently your customers in large numbers, you still don't have a problem, according to Kawasaki. You have to plant flowers everywhere, because you don't necessarily know who your next or best customers will be.
Innovation is about going to the people that are buying your product or paying for your service and find out why. Ask them what they like and follow those leads. Just because your product is popular with people you did not expect it to be popular with doesn't mean failure. You might just have to shift your ideas a little.
Tip No8 Churn Baby Churn
Part of being an innovator is constantly living in denial. You can't listen to people that say "you can't do this" or "you shouldn't do that" or "you can't launch until you have such and such". When you have been delivering your service or selling your product for a while, then you can identify shortcomings or recognise future features or aspects that would be desirable to the consumer.
Tip No9 Niche Thyself
When you aren't unique, but offer a valuable product or service, you have to compete on price. If you have a unique product or service, you have a corner on the market, but nobody wants what you offer. So obviously you want to offer a unique product that also has high value.
Kawasaki gives an interesting approach to maximising this when you make a presentation to a funder or investor about your service or product. He suggests the 10/20/30 Rule:
- 10 - the optimal number of slides in a PowerPoint presentation
- 20 - the number of minutes to present 10 slides as getting set up will normally take 40 minutes
- 30 - often the optimal size font for presentation slides: find the oldest person in the audience and divide his/her age by 2 to find the optimal font size
You have to ignore the Naysayers when bringing you innovation to fruition. Kawasaki says there are usually two types of bozo: the loser an the well-to-do, slickster rich guy, the latter being the most dangerous.You can't assume someone is smart just because they are rich.
As an innovator, the words "can't" and "shouldn't" have to be expunged from you vocabulary.
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