August 24, 2009
- The biggest lie about patenting your inventions
Which untruth is most damaging to inventors?
May 28, 2009
- Just because you're called Leonardo da Vinci it doesn't make you an entrepreneur….
Does being the greatest scientist and scholar of the century mean you are a successful entrepreneur?
May 18, 2009
- Death by Business Plan!
I recently asked my good friend and Mindsheet associate, Christopher Chadwick, to share his thoughts on the value of the business plan. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it's certainly a frank assessment.
May 7, 2009
- The Easiest Way to Rapidly Boost Your Business
Yesterday an old customer called in on us. We haven't worked with the customer in over a year and yet, out of the blue, he made my day by giving us a contract for more work.
April 30, 2009
- I've got a great product, so why don't they buy?
I've just got back from a client assignment in Newcastle. Like many people, they have a great product that really meets the needs of their target market. There's just one little problem, they can't sell it.
Can you relate to this?
April 20, 2009
- Is my business idea going to fly?
The traditional route to evaluating your business idea is to put together a detailed business plan but before you get buried under business plans and funding negotiations, not to mention throwing away your own money, resources and energy for the next 6 months, you need to stop and question whether your idea is compelling in the first place.
April 7, 2009
- Give Innovation a Chance – Move off the Solution!
So there's consensus within your organisation that now is the time to innovate. Competitive pressures are mounting up and more than ever you need to develop that unique solution for your customers to ensure your business continues to be a success. (…)
April 3, 2009
- When it Comes to Product Surveys, Don't Make This Mistake
The importance of a good product survey cannot be underestimated in the innovation process.
February 26, 2009
- 7 Websites You Must Check Out Before Entering a New Market
Whether you are lucky enough to be armed with a product idea or you have yet to crystallize your thoughts, you'd be mad to put any serious money into the project before you had a good understanding of the market. Knowing about your chosen market environment and what makes your customers tick are vital to the product development process.
Here's a guide to some good websites that we regularly use for research.
January 25, 2009
- What Ann Summers can tell you about innovation
Innovation comes from the verb "to innovate" which means to "introduce something new" or to introduce "a new idea, method, or device". But there's a lot more to innovation than the introduction of something new. So what should you know about innovation? I've done a quick sketch of what I believe illustrates the successful innovation process.
January 8, 2009
- Do I have what it takes to be an innovator?
Do you as individual have what it takes to be a successful innovator? I think there are certain skills that successful innovators possess.
December 23, 2008
- Tell me the future Mr. Drucker?
Does the name "Peter Drucker" mean anything to you? If it does, you'll be keen to read about my encounter with him back in the late 90s. If you haven't heard of him, then read on anyway as you might just pick up some useful information.
November 28, 2008
- Fast and lower cost ways to protect your inventions
Have you managed to come up with a good idea recently that addresses a strong need in an attractive market? Hopefully you're on to a winner….but expect other people to copy your idea as soon as the potential is proven.
Right from idea inception you should be taking measures to create barriers that prevent competitors from exploiting your efforts.
November 20, 2008
- Mind Mapping to Project Plans in 30 mins
Starting a project plan can seem like a bit of mountain to climb. How do you go about organising all of that information and making sense of it all? I've been employing the perfect solution for the past 7 years and cannot imagine project planning without it.
October 25, 2008
- Recession is not all bad news - now focus on innovation
News of the impending recession is all around us. Banks collapsing, inflation rising, unemployment back in the headlines, bad news stories everywhere….
You might be forgiven for thinking that now is the time to curb R&D and marketing spending, minimise risk and to sit tight and ride out the storm. But such a low risk strategy could be the very downfall of your business over the next few years.
