If you are running a small business there is a good chance that when you hear the word innovation, you think of academia, technology start-ups and work done in labs at larger companies.

Yet consider the definition of innovation from dictionary.com -- innovation:
1. something new or different introduced
2. the act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods

Sure, innovation can be a ground-breaking, disruptive technology or methodology that affects the lives of millions of people. Yet innovation also takes place in little things as well and can happen in simple ways that can make a big difference to a company’s success. This "practical innovation" is something smaller companies are positioned to do very well, because of their agility.

While larger companies and academia often have lengthy processes to go through before they can act, smaller businesses often have the advantage of being able to act quickly.

From that viewpoint, innovation is something that small businesses should own as an approach that gives them a competitive advantage against larger companies. Yet at the same time, we need to take into consideration the very real constraints of time and money that often hamper the ability for small business owners to act.

How can your company take advantage of "practical innovation"? Get started with these five tips.

• Set aside time to explore new ideas.

  Brainstorming is an important first step. Sometimes just the process of asking the right question can lead you to new answers and ideas, so it is helpful to identify a problem or strategic goal rather than addressing a vague or undefined question.

  When you brainstorm, it is important to not judge or discard ideas as they are being formed, because part of the brainstorming ideas is to let ideas flow. An idea that seems totally impractical, silly or even embarrassing could be the idea that sparks leads you to a “eureka” discovery.

• Try "gamestorming".

  Intuitive leaps that can lead us to some of our best opportunities to innovate belong in the realm of creative / right-brain thinking. Yet how often do we try to be innovative using our systematic, logical left-brain? Gamestorming, which is a process of using games and visual activities like drawing, can help you unlock ideas that might not come through with a left-brain approach. If you aren’t sure how to get started the book Gamestorming, which we reviewed on CanadaOne, < https://www.canadaone.com/ezine/oct10/review_gamestorming.htm > has a lot of great ideas and examples.

• Think beyond technology.

  If we want to be innovative we need to overcome “functional fixedness”. Functional fixedness happens when our idea about what an object is prevents us from seeing other uses for that object. Ironically, if you have a preconceived idea about what innovation is, that may prevent you from being innovative in your business. Too often people equate innovation with technology-based solutions.

  One of my favourite examples of innovation is the way a local Chinese restaurant redesigned layout of their store to create an extremely comfortable environment for take-out customers. They split the dining space in two and then put in a comfortable couch, arm chairs and a coffee table covered with brand new glossy magazines where people could relax while waiting for their order. The lighting was bright, inviting and had an upscale design, which was a total contrast compared to other Chinese restaurants in the area. Considering the high percentage of customers who opt for take-out, designing the store experience to make them feel comfortable was a simple, effective decision.

• Enact change through simple, measurable acts.

  One of the biggest problems small businesses face when trying to be innovative is they become overwhelmed by all of the opportunities to act and end up doing nothing at all. To overcome “idea-overload”, it helps to recognize what is happening and then consciously decide to accept that you can only implement one thing at a time. It helps to focus on simple, practical things that you can do without a lot of cost or effort and then commit to trying out idea at a time in a systematic way.

  For example, you might feel overwhelmed by all of the options available to promote your business using social media, so a good first step is to pick one platform to try out and commit to using it for one month. Once you decide to commit, make the decision to do things right. You don’t want your practical innovation to fail because you didn’t put the resources needed to properly evaluate it. Then after a trial period is over, assess how effective it was and don’t be afraid to step away from the change if it is not helping you meet your business goals.

Crowdsource support from friends and peers.

Quite often, the knowledge and support we need to introduce a practical innovation into our business already exists in our network. It is okay to admit that you need help and you will likely find that people are very happy to do so. You will find friends and peers are ready to help you from the idea stage right through to teaching you how to do something new, if needed.

Also, the very act of reaching out and sharing can have the benefit of helping you market your business at a hyper-local level, something larger corporations can’t easily do. That’s two birds. One stone. Just what we want as we embrace an innovation-mindset!