Article by: Altaf Ahmed, Business Support Manager, Leicester City Council
As a Business Support Manager, I often hear business owners say, “We’re too small to innovate” or “Innovation is not for businesses like ours”.
That’s not true. Innovation is for every business, at every stage.
This article explains:
· What innovation really means
· Where innovation starts
· What the innovation journey looks like in practice
· No buzzwords. Just real business sense.
What Is Innovation?
Innovation means finding a better way to do something that creates value. It does not have to be a brand-new invention or expensive technology. In business, innovation can be:
· Improving a product or service
· Saving time or money
· Making life easier for customers
· Solving a problem in a smarter way
If a change helps your business grow, improve, or compete better, that is innovation.
Simple definition:
Innovation is turning a good idea into something useful for your business or your customers.
Where Does Innovation Start?
Innovation always starts with a problem or opportunity. Good starting points include:
· Customers complaining or asking for something
· Processes that waste time or cause errors
· Costs that are too high
· Sales that have stopped growing
· Competitors doing things better or faster
Ask yourself:
· What frustrates our customers?
· What frustrates our staff?
· What takes too long or costs too much?
· What could we do better than we do today?
Innovation begins by asking better questions, not by having perfect answers.
The Innovation Journey: Step by Step
Innovation is not a single moment. It is a journey. Most businesses follow these simple steps.
1. Identify the Problem or Opportunity: Be clear about what needs to improve. Keep it simple and specific.
Example:
“Customers wait too long for quotes.”
2. Generate Ideas: Think about possible solutions. Involve staff, customers, business partners and critical friends such as Business Adviser. No idea is too small at this stage.
Example ideas:
“Online quotation form”
“Standard pricing packages”
“Review of approval process, making it quicker”
3. Test a Simple Solution: You do not need to get it perfect. Start small. Test one idea and see what happens.
Example:
“Trial the online quote form for one month”
4. Learn and Improve: Look at the results. What worked? What didn’t? Make changes. Innovation is about learning, not getting everything right first time.
5. Implement and Scale: Once something works, make it part of normal business. Train staff. Improve systems. Share the benefits.
This is where innovation creates real value.
Innovation is Ongoing, Innovation is not a one-off project. Markets change, Customers change and Technology changes.
The most successful businesses build innovation into how they work:
· They listen
· They test
· They improve
· They repeat
Final Thought:
Innovation does not mean taking big risks. It means making smart improvements over time. Start small. Focus on real problems. Learn as you go.
That is how innovation works in real businesses.
Next Step:
If you have identified a problem or opportunity and would like to explore ideas or discuss your next steps, we encourage you to attend our upcoming Innovation Festival Launch Event.
This event is designed specifically for SMEs looking to innovate, improve and grow. It’s an opportunity to gain insights, connect with others, and explore practical support available to your business.
If you would prefer to discuss your ideas directly, you can also contact Altaf Ahmed, Business Support Manager, Leicester City Council, at altaf.ahmed@leicester.gov.uk or on 0116 454 2929.
