Five Steps to realizing innovation

Innovation...what you need to make a difference in the business world...right? People want innovative products as long as they come with a sense of consistency, a need, or a problem solved.

Here are five steps to realizing innovation:

1. Most people deny that innovation is required. This is why people don't succeed to their maximum. How can you succeed to your maximum? Don't go with the flow...instead of imitating someone else, do your own thing! Give it your own approach. If everyone is creating social networks like Facebook, go and create your own type of social network. Don't be afraid to step outside the box!
2. Many people seem to deny that innovation, in general, is effective. However, innovation is the key component to developing an awesome business plan, solving a problem, and making a difference. It's not only effective, but one of the key things someone must do to make their business much more successful in the long run. Apple didn't get far by copying others...they got far by putting in the time, innovating, and pleasing customers. Do the same, and the word effective will always be in your vocabulary.
   
3. Most people don't have a challenging innovation. But ask yourself what you can do to make your innovation more challenging. See if you can come up with a few ideas that would make other business have to work hard to imitate you. When you do this, you take the market lead for your product, and it prevents other companies from stealing your idea and benefiting from your success. Just because you create a successful idea, doesn't mean you'll get the credit for it. You want credit, make it challenging!
4. Having a clear vision for your future, for the company, and for pleasing customers is required to crafting up good innovation. Once you get these few steps down, expect success in your innovative ideas.
5. Get the sleep you need every night. 5-7 hours of sleep should be enough. But, no less than 5, and no more than 8...seriously, because it ruins your chances of waking up with plenty of energy to innovate. You lose track of your knowledge gaps, when you don't sleep enough. You need to fill in your knowledge gaps, so you can innovate well. The only way to do this is to focus on your strengths, and learn what the problem is. When you spot that problem/weakness...learn how you can innovate a solution to solve it.

What's your opinion? Stop in and comment, please!