Innovate to grow

The three basic skills behind innovation.

At McIntosh Accountants Limited we can provide businesses in the Bucknall area with support and advice on a wide range of business issues. Here are some thoughts on business innovation...

It is often said that the driving force behind continuous improvement in a business is innovation.

Innovation requires three basic skills:

  1. Sensitivity to the marketplace - being able to read the trends and identify emerging needs
  2. Inventiveness - the ability to develop a creative response to those needs, either by introducing a new product or service or by adapting existing ones
  3. Positioning and timing - the art of introducing the new product or service into the marketplace in the right place and at the right time

One of the most significant trends to emerge in the marketplace in recent years is that of increased time pressures combining with greater spending power among the working population. In other words, people are increasingly cash-rich, but time-poor.

Here are some examples of the way the retail sector has adapted to meet these new needs:

  • Supplying high-end prepared foods, such as microwave dinners or oven-ready meals, for busy consumers for whom both the convenience and the brand add value. Though targeted at narrower sectors of the market than traditional 'convenience foods' are, these products can command premium prices and so provide higher margins. Examples include Sainsbury's 'Taste the Difference' and Tesco's 'Finest' ranges.
  • Taking advantage of convenient locations or existing 'fast trade' to create one-stop shops where busy consumers can avail themselves of a number of fast track services under one roof. Again, the speed and convenience are often combined with top brands to leverage premium prices. A good example is a petrol station selling top-of-the-range grocery items, CDs and so on.

It is not difficult to see how these principles can be applied to other sectors - the key point is to stay in touch with your market and be flexible enough to adapt to its needs.

If you are in the Bucknall area and are looking for support and help from experienced accountants and business advisers, contact McIntosh Accountants Limited.

Register for newsletter

Why not register to receive our Monthly Newswire?

Once a month we'll send you an email packed full of essential business news and handy tax tips to help save you money.

Learn more
BAS logo Ciot logo ICAEW logo Sage logo

Home | Contact us | Site map | Accessibility | Disclaimer | Privacy | Help | © 2024 McIntosh Accountants Limited. All rights reserved.

McIntosh is a trading name of McIntosh Accountants Limited.

Registered Address: McIntosh Chartered Accountants incorporating Facts and Figures, Windsor Lodge, 263A Werrington Road, Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST2 9AS
Registered in England | Company number : 04639062

We use cookies on this website, you can find more information about cookies here.