What if the common view of disruption being massive and explosive simply isn’t true? What if disrupting an industry can happen in small consistent steps over time?
You and I live in an ever changing world. A world of disruption in which smartphones, social media and digital technologies are driving and shaping the way we live and work. It’s hard to imagine doing business without such things.
Although disruption leads to great opportunities, it also places enormous strain on small-business owners because it creates both external pressure and uncertainty. But disruption isn’t new.
In Roman times massive disruption was almost a constant because the Romans were insanely inventive. They innovated roads and aqueducts, both of which led to enormous change to urbanisation and sanitation. During the industrial revolution massive disruption occurred through such things as Henry Ford’s production line, the invention of the telephone and lightbulb. Disruption has always driven and shaped our world.
But what if our view of ‘disruption’ is actually stopping us from improving and growing our business?
Roads, aqueducts, light bulbs, and smartphones are all game changers, yet in those very examples lies a major problem for small business. Because disruption is often seen as big, expensive, risky and hard to do, it is viewed by many small businesses as being unachievable.
What if you shift how you see disruption? What if the common view of it being massive and explosive simply isn’t true? What if disrupting an industry can happen in small consistent steps over time? What if it is a game of inches?
To be groundbreaking doesn’t mean you need a massive earth mover to disturb tons of dirt, because you can break ground one clod at a time. To disrupt you don’t need to invent the next iPhone – you just need to do something no one else has never done before, or to do it in a way no one has done it before, or to do it better than anyone else has done it before.
You can build a successful business by focusing on doing little things better than everyone else and working hard at finding innovative solutions to problems. If you constantly focus on finding gaps within your market and within your business, success will inevitably follow. Rather than trying to disrupt on a massive scale, adopt a ‘game of inches’ approach. Here are some ways to get you started.
Find a gap
Before you come up with your next big idea, find a gap in your market or your business. Gaps are problems or opportunities that, when addressed, lead to profitable growth. And remember that gaps don’t need to be giant chasms because fixing small gaps is easier, quicker and less expensive than trying to fix big ones.
Take action
Once you’ve found a gap you need take action. Don’t wait to get it perfect, just get it started. Successful businesses get things done because they are good at starting.
Test and measure
Don’t wait until completing something to see if it worked. You need to measure each step along the way – which is great because it is far easier to make a small correction than a large one.
Delete and improve
If things aren’t working delete them. Don’t waste time on duds. If they are working then don’t get complacent – improve them.
And if you create an obsession for consistent small changes one day you may just notice you have disrupted your industry and grown your business one step at a time.
Nigel Collin, Business Coach and Author of ‘Game of Inches’
