Last week, I had one of those “Ahhhhhh!!!!” moments that made me discover another of these overlooked innovative ideas for business growth. I wanted to share it with you because it changed how I see business innovation.
In her book Radical Candor, Kim Scott writes about how we often focus on those massive ideas when discussing innovation, like the iPhone. But, we should also pay attention to micro innovations.
There are plenty of easy ways that make the lives of our customers a bit easier and set your business apart. Why? Because when those compound, it will be tough to copy your nature venture.
Others might be able to copy your product, but if you pay attention to these small ideas and empower your team to realize them, you will be unstoppable.
Copying one idea is straightforward. Copying thousands of small ideas gets very tricky.
You know your nature venture the best, so you might already have some ideas.
But to make your job easier, I provide 17 easy ideas that, when cumulated, will set your nature venture apart.
What are the most pivotal innovative ideas for business growth?
1. A beautiful e-mail signature
We are roughly sending 40 e-mails per day. 40 times an opportunity to share with the receiver what your nature venture is about & make it easy for them to find out more.
2. Micro copywriting
Nowadays, many websites look and read the same. Put yourself apart by using micro copywriting. Examples for your website are writing better button names, headlines, or newsletter subscription texts. Enages the user much more.
3. The use of the same branded colors
When you have your nature venture brand, use the colors you came up with everywhere. On your website, on your socials, in your e-mails, and your newsletters. It makes your brand more recognizable.
4. Human focus
So many of our exchanges with our customers & donors are formal. Bring humanity into it. When you are writing to a customer, ask them how their week was and share about yours. These things look minor but make a real difference.
5. Anticipation
After a while of working on your nature venture, you get a good overview of the questions you constantly get. So, improve your communication accordingly and provide FAQs on the website so potential customers can immediately get their answers.
6. Easy payment process
I frequently stop donation or purchase processes if the payment process is complicated. Paying or donating should be the easiest step for your customers. Make it as short and painless as possible.
7. Updated LinkedIn profile
You are a key figure in your nature venture, so make sure that your profile is tailored to the group of people you want to talk to, and that ideally can support your nature venture. Use the brand colors, create a powerful call to action link, explain your nature venture, have a relevant profile picture, use the header image, etc.
🐢 Discover how I increased my LinkedIn followers base by 5771 people in only 8 months!
8. A bang welcome for new employees
Your team is everything. They are the force that pushes your idea to new levels. So when you get a new person on board, ensure they get the best welcome they ever received from a company. First impressions matter.
9. Easy content creation from the ground
Nowadays, there is a lot of greenwashing out there. So, make it as easy as possible for your team to produce content that shows the groundwork of how you make the world wilder.
10. The importance of building a knowledge system
People come and go. That is just part of the nature venture world. While people can leave, ensure their knowledge and best practices stay in the company. Create a knowledge system that gets better and better with every employee that joins.
11. Sales demo personalization
If you are selling B2B, adapt your demo and sales pitch to the company in front of you. Changing the logo, colors, industry context, etc., goes a long way to secure the deal.
12. The surprise effect
Regularly surprise your community with something new or unexpected. For example, Barilla, the pasta company, created some Spotify playlists so that people knew exactly how long they needed to boil their pasta.
13. Eco-Friendly Invoices
Send electronic invoices instead of paper ones. Mention your commitment to sustainability in the e-mail, showcasing your eco-friendly practices.
14. Handwritten Thank-You Notes
After a successful interaction, take a few minutes to send a personalized handwritten thank-you note to your colleagues, customers, or donors. It adds a personal touch that makes your venture memorable.
15. Sustainable Web Hosting
Choose a web hosting provider that runs on renewable energy to reduce your website’s carbon footprint. Highlight this choice on your site.
16. Custom Plantable Business Cards
Design business cards embedded with wildflower seeds. When recipients plant the card, it grows into wildflowers, reinforcing your environmental commitment.
17. Reply time setup
Being reactive to your customers can be a tiny detail that goes a long way. I am still waiting for some e-mails from NGOs that were never answered. Set a realistic but ambitious time (24h) and make this a non-negotiable KPI.
All not crazy and mindblowing. But if compounded, it is tough to copy for your competitor. This is how you set your nature business apart.
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5 practical steps to implement these innovative ideas for business growth
So, how can you push your staff to come up with more innovative ideas like the ones above? Here are some practical steps to get started.
1. Encourage Experimentation
Promote a culture where team members feel safe to experiment and take calculated risks. Encourage them to explore small, creative ideas without the fear of failure. Celebrate learning from experiments, whether they succeed or not.
2. Provide Time and Resources
Allocate dedicated time and resources for employees to work on small innovation projects. This might include “innovation time” or specific budget allocations.
3. Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration
Break down silos and promote collaboration among different departments and teams. Cross-functional teams can bring diverse perspectives and skill sets to the table, enhancing the quality of small innovations.
4. Recognition and Rewards
Implement a system for recognizing and rewarding small innovations. This can be through financial incentives, public acknowledgment, or career development opportunities. Highlight the impact these innovations have on the organization’s goals and values.
5. Communication and Feedback
Create open channels for communication and feedback. Encourage employees to share their ideas and experiences. Regularly check in with team members, listen to their concerns, and provide constructive feedback to help them refine their ideas.
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A cheat sheet to start setting your nature venture apart
In a nutshell: Don’t look only for massive innovations. Instead, create an environment where small innovations can occur.
Book: I strongly recommend you read the book Radical Candor by Kim Scott.
Article: I also suggest you have a look at the article Getting the Best Employee Ideas from the Harvard Business Review to help you and your teammates be creative and set you apart from your competitors.
Tools: Here are a few tools that help put these tips into action effectively.
- Canva – Brand and design work.
- Krystal – Green website hosting.
- Notion – Knowledge Management.
- Chat GPT – Micro Copywriting.
Before you go.
If you think this newsletter is helpful, please share it with 1 ecopreneur in your network.
This will help me massively to keep posting these in the years to come.
Massive innovations are significant, but to get your nature venture to exist in the decades to come, create an environment where you and your team can constantly launch small innovations.
Together, they will compound and set you apart from your competition sooner or later.
Have a wild week!
Best,
Oliver
🦧 Whenever you are ready, there are 2 ways Wild Business Mates can help you grow and double your impact:
1. 1-to-1 business consulting. Detailed and personalized consulting to double the impact of your biodiversity organization in the shortest possible time. Not sure how good your pitch deck is?
Sign up for the waiting list by writing us at oliver@wildbusinessmates.com (unfortunately, we are booked out at the moment).
2. Wild Business Mates in Action. Wild Business Mates help you execute in areas you are struggling with. Tech, Marketing, Sales, Communication, etc. We can realize all the steps I mentioned above.
