Innovation is the corner stone of the American entrepreneurial engine. From Google to G.E., big breakthrough ideas have reshaped industries and fattened share holder wallets. Yet, this view of the big "home run" ideas misses the mark when it comes to the innovation game. For small business, small innovations trumps the big ideas.
Research published by Suku Bhaskaran in the Journal of Small Business Management, revealed the advantages of incremental innovation in the food service industry. In an industry owned by two large companies who made the move into new niche markets, the smaller businesses who applied small innovations had better performance and competitive advantages. What was discovered is thinking small is essential for businesses competing in tough markets against big companies. Quite simply, think small to get big.