One of the issues that many entrepreneurs confront is the feeling of isolation that running your own business seems to engender. It is especially acute for those business owners that work remotely from business partners, work in their homes or in an office space that is not heavily trafficked by other employees. As most entrepreneurs either are currently working for others and trying to build their own businesses in their spare time; or even if they are dedicated full time to their own businesses, they likely take for granted the ability to share ideas with others that working for a larger concern provides. At some point in the arc of the business' progress, it will be deemed best to try to gain perspective other than one's own. But without the benefit of having colleagues, cohorts, team members, or fellow employees to share ideas with, where is the business owner to turn?

Enter The Experts

Exacerbating the problem is that business consultants, sages, advisors, and interested others will make a recommendation that may inadvertently cause another problem. The conventional wisdom would have the business owner seeking to see what others in the industry have done to overcome the challenge being confronted. Some combination of the following would be suggested:

1. Read the industry journals, periodicals, or magazines that track the industry to look for successful ideas that can be replicated in one's own business

2. Attend industry conferences where speakers,

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competitors, and analysts tracking the industry share "best practices" with each other.

3. Ask customers for their viewpoints on how to best serve their needs.

Every one of these ideas is appropriate and worthwhile. In fact, they are such good ideas, that any business owner that chooses to ignore these suggestions will rarely be able to sustain their businesses for real long-term growth of any consequence. However, they are also pathways to mediocrity if followed without a dose of inspiration.

The issue with following the footprints that others have left in the sand is that it has been done before and is therefore, not unique. By definition, if someone is behind a podium discussing results or if an article has appeared with step by step instructions of how others can replicate the original company's procedures - then you are second to market at the very best. The competitive set may be smaller, at least for a short while, but the business does not have a true point of differentiation from all others. Obviously, if the recommendations are being presented to the industry as a whole at a conference, industry journal article, or website bulletin board, etc. the idea is no longer exclusive to anyone and many will rush in to copy it in the hopes of finding what they cannot generate on their own.

The ideas presented may very well be good ones, might even be unique, and very possibly did lead to success for the first company to do what is proposed. Yet, the real benefit of hearing or reading what others in the industry are exposed to is to identify what competitors are likely to be doing so as to build or create a unique approach that separates the business from the others running around with the latest buzzwords or most recent techniques, concepts, etc. If the idea is not improved upon from the original, than is there really a need for the business to try to mimic the first executor of the idea?

From Whence Comes Inspiration

While attending Graduate School, a professor of mine shared a story of one of his early work assignments. He was hired by one of the glue manufacturers to help the team design a glue container that would not leak glue after it had been used. Design after design was used and each one of them failed to completely prevent the glue from bubbling, oozing, or dripping down the side of the container and causing messes for the user to deal with when the glue was put back on a shelf, stood next to other items, or when it was to be used a second time and the user picked it up.

This professor wisely decided to look beyond the current design magazines of the day and seek answers elsewhere. Finding that nature had an answer that every one else had missed, he excitedly took the design team to a farm that had cows on the property. Pointing to a cow that was in the process of eliminating whatever was digested recently, he asked the team if there was something to be learned from what they were observing. After the snickers and sarcastic comments subsided, he explained that if the container were to be ridged instead of smooth, similar to the muscular structures of the cow's digestive tract, it would prevent spillage, leakage, or unwanted messes.

While the example is somewhat extreme and likely not easily replicable for many other instances, the key factor to consider is the search for answers in arenas that are outside the conventional wisdom that others are adhering to in their pursuit of answers. The benefit is that anything uncovered will likely be unique for the industry in which it is being introduced, it does not really require the same brainpower to think of something that no one else has thought of, but rather only suggests a way to apply in a different way that which others have done in other situations outside the traditional boundaries of the business.

Being open to the opportunity to see problems in different forms, seeking analogies from other industries or those that have wrestled with similar issues in their own spheres is a critically important approach to reframing the issue to be resolved in a creative and innovative way. Being inspired to see things differently by actually seeing them as the same as something that was initially thought to be different is a skill that will separate your business from competition.

Recent Example

The "Bodies Revealed" exhibit that is currently in Hartford presents just such an opportunity for businesses. While walking around the cadavers, body parts, and organs under glass, the conversations people were having with each other commonly included phrases similar to, "that looks like (something)," or "that reminds me of (another thing)," etc. Likely, no one intentionally went there with the thought to resolve a pressing business problem they were having, but the commentary people were sharing did include words that could easily apply to businesses:

The brain COMMUNICATES with other body parts
This organ MANAGES the process
By TRAINING the muscles
If there is a BLOCKAGE, the body responds thusly
Etc.

While the bodies on display are years past their ability to walk, talk, or breathe; to say that they were not living and sparking creativity in ways that continue to inspire is to simply not be paying attention!

David Zahn is a serial entrepreneur and consultant to Fortune 100 businesses (www.zahnconsulting.com) as well as entrepreneurial startups (www.startupbuilder.com).

The opinions expressed are the author's and not necessarily those of connpost.com. Please direct comments to cdauber@ctpost.com.