innovation « Be Innovation

Carpooling Service…from an Oil Company?

May 1, 2009

carpool_sign_500 The good people over at Springwise continue to point out some of the most innovative startups competing for your attention, and today, they had one that really caught my eye.

“In March 2009, Galp Energia launched Galpshare, a carpooling platform where commuters can create a profile, specify their daily route and find others heading the same way. Users can also list their musical preferences and interests (politics, sport, business, etc.), helping them find people they’d enjoy sharing a ride with.”

The most interesting thing to note here is that Galp Energia is the largest oil company in Portugal. It’s strange to think of an Oil company as part of the solution for energy efficiency.

I commend them for stepping up to the plate and designing a service that is forward thinking and helpful. A quick look at the website and you can tell that it is still relatively new, but there are a number of members. The free site could obtain some significant advertisers as the network starts to grow. It is the perfect example of a company innovating outside the boundaries of their current business model to position themselves in a new market and become more sustainable.

Hopefully this is more than just a PR ploy to gain some friendly attention, and they are in this for the long haul. Maybe other companies in a similar situation will start to take notice and deploy similar business strategies.

As more companies see the value in becoming environmentally conscious, we will see a growth in the “green economy” that will help society as a whole.

2 Comments | change | Tagged: business, energy, innovation, Springwise | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

Use Incentives Instead of Salaries to Recruit Early Hires

April 13, 2009

carrot-incentive Most companies start with nothing. But it takes people to run a company. So what should you do? You don’t have any money coming in to pay your employees, but you can’t hire anyone with any talent if you can’t pay them. You’re stuck.

Not if you are creative.

Instead of offering competitive salaries to the first round of people that you hire, offer them a chance at even higher earning potential down the line. I have always been one that thought that giving your employees a vested interest in the success of your company will lead to better results. When people see that their work directly leads to the company’s success, and they are rewarded based on that productivity, they are much more likely to increase their effort.

If you hire a salesman, consider higher commissions than he expects. Consider allowing the sales team to make suggestions to the marketing and development teams that will make selling and customer communication easier. Reward them for suggestions that they help get implemented.

If you hire marketers, tie their earnings potential in with revenue that can be tracked directly to the marketing campaigns that they controlled. If someone helps to create a strategy that works out in a big way, don’t hesitate to let them in some of the revenue that the strategy brought you. For more ideas on creating a successful employee incentives program, check this out.

Your employees are much more likely to take an active role in the building of a new company if they feel some sort of ownership role. They will stay with you longer, produce better results, and work harder to turn your new company into a stronger, larger one.

Anyone can offer a competitive salary. Only the best and brightest companies offer a sense of responsibility and reward system based on the various roles played by employees. Those companies will continue to recruit and retain A Players.

5 Comments | Theory | Tagged: employee incentives, entrepreneurship, hiring, innovation | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

Madness? A New Spin on Sports Betting

March 20, 2009

centsports A longstanding controversy, the art of sports betting has been around as long as people have been playing sports. And as the internet made gambling from anywhere in the world at any time an effortless, habit forming task, the controversy spread. What is legal?

The sheer legality of gambling makes it appealing. As I have said in the past, even negative publicity gets people’s attention. And if you get their attention, you’re winning the battle.

Now, imagine you can take the concept of sports betting, and make it legal in some way. Then, say you manage to do that and offer it online, where anyone with a computer and internet access can get to it, anytime. Sounds like a pretty innovative way to start a business.

Well there are two websites of mention that are doing this, and seem to be doing it well.

First, there’s ESPN.com. Their website has undergone a massive transformation over the past couple of months, with a clear focus on driving advertising dollars and boosting web traffic. One very interesting way they have done this is by creating a “Streak for the Cash” contest.

Basically, Streak for the Cash offers up various sporting events that users can “bet” on by selecting the winners. The first person to collect 25 wins in a row, wins $1 Million. And it’s free to play. What this does is brings people to the site over and over again throughout the course of the day/week/month that this contest is active. The more hits they get, the more ads they can serve, the more money they’ll bring in.

Second, there’s a site most people are not as familiar with, CentSports.com. I was introduced to CentSports through a friend who had gotten involved and was enjoying the experience. Immediately I was intrigued.

CentSports operates like a traditional sports betting site, except that you cannot gamble with your own money, making it completely legal. You open an account, and you get $0.10. That 10 cents is yours to bet with on whatever you want. You can build up a large bankroll over time, and whenever you go broke, they’ll put 10 cents back into your account.

Here’s the catch, even though the money you are using is completely free, you can cash out for real money once you get to a certain value. They have tricky cash out rules, and you have to play for awhile to build up enough money to cash out, but its all very real.

How do they do this? Ads. Companies have been quick to buy ads on the site, which get displayed with the user’s permission, and often. The money from these ads supports the weekly payouts to “betters”, and keep the site going. As the site gets more popular, the ads will definitely continue to get more valuable.

Both of these are examples of websites that are looking to capitalize on the popularity of gambling in a new way. Make it free (which also means legal) and support yourself with ads. We’ve seen this model work in many industries, and it looks to be a winning formula here as well.

6 Comments | Features, Tech | Tagged: advertising, Gambling, innovation, technology, Website | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

Look to the Volcano

March 13, 2009

volcano If you’ve read this blog before, you know that I am constantly telling you to “Always be innovating“. Yesterday, someone reminded me, if you are constantly changing and doing new things, life gets too hectic and the business could fall apart. After thinking about that for awhile, I came up with this analogy to help explain what I mean a little more clearly.

Think if your innovation like a volcano. Volcanoes are not always erupting (thank god). They lie dormant for years between eruptions. They are, however, without getting into too much detail about volcanic activity, tectonic plates, and geological theory, always doing something. Deep beneath the surface, that volcano is getting ready for the next eruption.

And that is what you need to consider when it comes to innovation. When I say, “always be innovating”, it means always be doing something. Just like you would tell an entrepreneur to always be doing something that helps you move toward starting a company, you should always be doing something that will eventually lead to your next innovative breakthrough.

Things like brainstorming sessions, a call for ideas from all your employees, hiring a chief of innovation, talking to your customers, and doing various market research are all forms of innovation because they can all lead to innovation. So I don’t mean that you should always be changing something in a major way. I mean that there are little things that you can always do to encourage an innovative culture, open yourself up to change, and increase the chance of great innovative opportunities down the road.

And when that volcano erupts, you will have laid the groundwork for the entire company to take a huge step forward. Carry the momentum of innovation with you at all times and breakthroughs will await.

That is the definition of the phrase “Always Be Innovating”.

5 Comments | Theory | Tagged: Brainstorming, entrepreneurs, innovation | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

Phish: Innovation in Music

March 11, 2009

I was in that crowd

The band Phish has returned to the music scene this past weekend. After nearly five years off they have reunited (not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that I was at their last show before the break), and they have made quite a splash around the web.

To someone like me, who likes the band and also pays attention to music blogs and the social web in general, it appears that the band is getting a lot of hype. But the truth is, probably 90% of people in the country haven’t heard a word about Phish’s comeback, if they have ever even heard of Phish in the first place. That’s because the band, in no way, has never really been considered a commercial success.

But there is a reason for that. You might say, it’s on purpose. The band has always been one that combines a wide variety of musical styles, carries out extended jams in the middle of and in between songs, and varies the songs they play, the order they play them, and the way that they play them from night to night. They produce music that is a constant stream of innovation. And that is not for everybody.

The thing is, unlike most bands today, they are not trying to make music for everybody. If you asked them, they would probably tell you that they are not trying to make music for anybody…other than themselves that is. And so they attract people like them, people with similar musical tastes. And then, because they stay true to themselves and the style, they create a cult-like following among their fans.

Phish, along with other bands like them, could claim that they have some of the most loyal fans in the music industry. They get consistent crowds of over 50,000 people traveling all over the country to see them. People beg, borrow, and work for tickets to every single show possible.

So, why bother selling to the masses? If you are Phish, and you can continue to do what you love, make money off of it, and interact with “customers” who truly love and respect what you do, why bother doing anything differently?

Seth Godin will tell you Phish has created a Tribe. And he is right. Companies everywhere can look to Phish and copy their business model. Here is a band that can sell out 3 nights of concerts in under 3 minutes, in the middle of a recession, after being away for 5 years, and when most people have never even heard of them. Sounds like a pretty good model to follow to me.

Leave a Comment » | Branding | Tagged: Cults, innovation, Music, Phish, seth godin | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

Does Saying No Hurt Innovation?

February 25, 2009

NO. It’s one of the first words we learn, after the occasional “mom”, “dad”, and right in line with “mine”. It’s a strong word, one that can hurt, offend, and put off. But does saying no mean that you are not contributing to innovation?

In my mind, the process of innovating in an organization is a mostly positive process. It takes inspirational leaders, empowered workers, continued discussion, creativity and and constant flow of ideas. Shooting down ideas only hurts the process, because it blocks the way to getting to the right idea. So, in a sense, when coming up with new strategies, the word “no” may be unnecessary.

But there is another side of innovation. When companies are struggling to perform at a level of success that they are accustomed to or striving towards, something may be wrong. It may be organizational or administrative, it may be a disconnect between the brand and the consumer, it may be a failing process or product line. Whatever it is, it takes an innovative focus and strategy to be willing to change something that is not working. And in that sense, pointing out negatives can be very important.

When an online company is making content too hard to find, saying “our user interface is no good” is important. When a car company is on the verge of complete failure, saying “we need to get rid of some of these lines” is important. And when companies are trying to restructure, reorganize, or redevelop certain systems, someone has to have the courage stand up and disagree when necessary.

Not all ideas are good ideas. Some ideas are too expensive, will take too long, or are just not possible. Saying the word “no” is a bad way to shoot something down, but we have to be willing to object to things for real innovation to be possible. If something is not right, say it. Then we can start the process of fixing it.

Don’t be afraid to disagree.

8 Comments | Theory | Tagged: automakers, ideas, innovation, No, small business | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

When you Fake Innovation…

February 10, 2009

When you fake innovation, you let everyone down. For whatever it is worth, an enterprise must decide for themselves what they want to be. And then once that decision is made, build yourself around it. That means hiring and firing the right people, changing the way you communicate both internally and externally, and executing. If you are okay being an average organization that does not take big risks and rides on the coattails of success, that’s fine. Just don’t fake it.

Major League Baseball is faking it. They were looking for mass appeal, so they turned a blind eye to rampant abuse of performance enhancing drugs for a long time. When they finally decided to deal with it, it wasn’t an internal decision. Their hand was forced by the media and other external factors. But even at that point, they had the chance to turn things around.

They tested and “perfected” a new random drug testing policy that was actually quite lenient, much more so than other professional sports. They revised it many times, made it more strict, publicized it, and executed it. Their message all along was that they were cleaning up baseball, making it great again. At least that was their message to us, the fans and media.

Internally, no one got fired for failing to do their jobs. And an investigation that should have been quick and to the point, is still ongoing. Then, when most of the dust had settled, and fans of the game finally felt like things were back to normal…A-Rod. Curt Schilling I think says what I mean best in his blog post. Why is A-Rod left out to dry? Who leaked this information? Why are some names still not released to the public?

This is not a blog about Major League Baseball. But from this example, it is clear that an organization (your company?) must have a clear vision for what they are trying to do. And now, more than ever before, you must communicate and execute on that vision in the public eye. You can’t get by with telling one story and doing something else, you’ll get called out on it. The negative PR from “lying” about your goals, your vision, your ideals and your strategy is too much to handle in a connected world.

You have to be the real thing. People will acknowledge you for it, respect you for it, and thank you for it (success!!). What do you think?

Leave a Comment » | anti-innovation | Tagged: Arod, communication, Failure, innovation, MLB | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

Steve Wozniak is an Innovator – Are You?

February 6, 2009

There are a lot of innovators out there. If you listen to what people and companies say, everyone is an innovator. People like to toss around the term innovation because it gets people’s attention. It makes you think of something new and amazing.

Steve Wozniak just took a job with Fusion-io, a startup focused on Flash memory devices to speed up servers. Steve, co-founder of Apple, is a true technology innovator. If you need proof, read his book. He is an idea man, and he gets things done. His mind just works in ways that other people’s don’t.

Really, at its base, innovation is change. It is taking something, usually something that most people take for granted, and improving on it (or creating something completely different in its place). And, truthfully, we can all innovate. Every company, from the smallest of small businesses to the biggest of corporations, can make innovative strategic decisions on a daily basis. So why don’t we?

Well, innovation can be hard. It must be built into your culture. It feeds off of creativity and ideas. You need the people with those ideas to spawn innovative discussions, and you need leaders who listen and see the value in new ideas.

But the point of this blog is to show you that you don’t need a mind like Steve Wozniak’s to innovate. Read his book, its inspiring. In fact, read as many business books as you can. Read the top business blogs. Take in information, news, suggestions, etc. on innovation and business practice.

Let your mind wander. Think of possibilities that are far out of reach. It doesn’t matter what you do on a daily basis, after a while, things get stale. And for a company that relies on putting out consistently good products or delivering consistently good service, staleness will kill you.

Suggestions: Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, an employee, a small business owner, and inventor, or a CEO you can…

Always be learning – read everything around you and find out what other people are thinking, doing, and saying. Surrounding yourself with information leads to inspiration.
Always be doing – don’t let yourself hesitate or put down certain ideas because you are afraid. Don’t let a day go by where you are not experimenting with something physically or mentally.
Always be talking – social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter have allowed for limitless conversation. Seek out others in your field and communicate with them, this will bring new ideas to light.

But it doesn’t stop there. Take advantage of the comment area below and add your own suggestions. How can you foster innovation and creativity?

9 Comments | Innovative Reads, Top Innovators | Tagged: Alltop, apple, Blogging, innovation, networking, Steve Wozniak | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

2008 Innovation in Review

December 29, 2008

2008 was a strange year. It was a year that saw a rough economic downturn, a struggle by our government to save some big companies, and an effort by banks across the globe to stabilize themselves. The term recession was thrown around plenty, and a lot of well established corporations underperformed because of it.

But even so, there were people and companies that were moving in the right direction. To finish off the year here on Be Innovation, I wanted to touch on some of the most innovative people and creations of the year.

David Plouffe and the rest of Obama’s campaign management team should be recognized for their innovative use of viral marketing in the 2008 presidential campaign. For the first time, a presidential candidate got in touch with the younger, internet generation. This not only drove more young people to vote, it increased his “brand awareness”, and made him seem more “available” then most politicians.

Kevin Rose, as Inc Magazine puts it, is the first media maverick of the social web. In 2008, he saw his company, Digg, gain popularity and value. It spawned off an internet TV show “Diggnation” and the Kevin Rose web-celeb status. He owns or operates several other internet ventures and is surely planning more for the future.

Apple, Google, and Research in Motion deserve credit for bringing the mobile web into the hands of consumers. New 3G phones with one-touch applications and easy web use has made living life on the go easier than ever. Advancements in touch screen technology, internet availability, and mobile technology have made these phones popular and practical.
There are many, many more people, companies and inventions to mention. But there is only so much room here. Take a look at some of these other lists that round out the top innovators/innovations of 2008.

The Economist discusses this year’s winners of the annual innovation awards. B to B Media Business showcases their top innovators in five different categories. The Scientist lists their top 10 innovations of the year. Check out Time Magazine’s top inventions of 2008. And finally, MediaWeek discusses the most impressive innovations of the year in media and marketing.

And we can all look forward to 2009, which at this moment in time, holds a limitless amount of possible innovations. 2009 will be the year of an “Innovate or Die” mindset for corporate America. The times are changing (have changed) and it will put a lot of pressure on big companies to adapt and grow in a new direction.

5 Comments | Features, Top Innovators | Tagged: business, innovation, inventions, Marketing, media | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

November Wrap-Up: Most Popular Posts

December 1, 2008

December is upon us. Another month of innovation lies ahead. Hopefully everyone had a great holiday weekend and found much to be thankful for. Below are the blogs that Be Innovation readers were thankful for. Here are the top 3 most popular posts from November. And remember, the best way to keep track of all the top posts from Be Innovation is to subscribe to receive email updates.

1. Mobile Battles, Monetization of the Social Web, and Risk Taking
This post discussed a variety of news items from the technology world. It is important to note that the battle to control the mobile web is upon us, and all the competitors will try to use this holiday season to gain an edge. This month is about taking risks, and for retailers, it is important to stand out and be different in order to gain holiday shoppers. Read the entire post here.

2. The 3 “S” Formula to Innovative Viral Marketing
This was the most popular post of the month. The 3-S Formula garnered attention from a variety of marketing blogs and experts. Though it is very basic, it is important to note that viral marketing does not just happen on its own. The very best in the business know this, and do everything they can to allow the word to spread. Stand out, Spread the Word, and Serve Your Customers. Read the entire post here.

3. Innovations in Shopping Make Your Life Easier
It seemed very sensible to post a shopping blog before the holiday, and then repost it here on “Cyber Monday”. Many other blogs have similar recommendations for holiday shopping online. This post offers a number of websites and services that make shopping online easier and hassle free. I have tried all of them and find that each one offers something unique and worthwhile. Read the entire post here.

A final note to retailers: This is it. This is the month that your entire year comes down to. Time to stick whatever notion of value you have out the window and do whatever it takes to service your customers. Holiday shoppers are extra cautious about price this year, and you need to do something to stand out in their eyes. No longer can you avoid price competition. Why not do something creative to garner some trust with holiday shoppers. Offer exclusive memberships, return customer discounts, free trials and gifts, special online discounts to avoid the in store hassle. Many retailers will lose out this month, but the best of the best, most innovative and creative retailers, will win big.

Leave a Comment » | Features | Tagged: holiday, innovation, Retail | Permalink
Posted by Zach Heller

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Be Innovation

Carpooling Service…from an Oil Company?

Use Incentives Instead of Salaries to Recruit Early Hires

Madness? A New Spin on Sports Betting

Look to the Volcano

Phish: Innovation in Music

Does Saying No Hurt Innovation?

When you Fake Innovation…

Steve Wozniak is an Innovator – Are You?

2008 Innovation in Review

November Wrap-Up: Most Popular Posts

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