NOVEMBER 20, 2006
Small Biz
By Stacy Perman
Where Entrepreneurs Find Inspiration
Who do Richard Branson, Hugh Hefner, and other marquee-name entrepreneurs and innovators look to for wisdom? Read on to find out
There are those entrepreneurs and innovators who need little or no introduction. They are the people who start revolutions, take old ideas or services and add their own stamp, creating new industries and shaking up existing ones. They're the household names that could be considered for the Hall of Fame of entrepreneurship. They take old ideas or services and add their own stamp, creating new industries and shaking up existing ones. Their stories arouse awe and induce others to try their own hand at business. They're the dreamers who ignore the naysayers. They are the ones who look at failure as one step toward success.
Bookshelves are filled with the stories of how they did it. But what keeps them going? Debbi Fields, the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, once said: "The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it." Renowned business thinker Peter Drucker offered these breakthrough ideas: "Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being practiced. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation, the changes and their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful innovation. And they need to know and to apply the principles of successful innovation."
Sources of Their Success Clearly, the success stories of winning entrepreneurs inspire others. But what do they have to say about where they find their own inspiration, and just how do they view their own triumphs?
BusinessWeek.com spoke to a group of innovative entrepreneurs, many of whom have changed the course of business with their ideas and their companies. They are marquee names or soon to be so, and we asked them who has inspired them, to share a great piece of advice they once received, and what they consider their greatest innovation to date.
To read their answers, click here
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
