Petr Adamek, CEO of the Canberra Innovation Network features in the February 2020 edition of the Qantas In-Flight Magazine, Travel Insider.

“Last financial year, 220,000 new Australian Businesses set up shop. Here, experts in security, finance and recruitment share the small-business wisdom that these companies need to flourish.”

A survival guide written by Beverley Head.

Getting a small business up and running takes a huge effort and keeping it there demands the same, says Petr Adamek, CEO of the Canberra Innovation Network.

“Small business cannot be local only. Every business has to be a global one as you’re competing with offerings from around the world. Businesses on the same street as you will be spending more and more money with companies overseas.”

Carving out time to innovate can be challenging in a time-strapped small business but it’s critical, says Adamek, and must have a customer focus. He proposes Rob Adams’ book If You Build It Will They Come? as a good starting point. It advises companies to interview customers and prospects about what they actually want, before starting to create something new.

Even then, resources are finite. Adamek likes the approach of one business he worked with that held a Monday morning “kill a puppy” session to decide which ideas on the drawing board made most sense and which the least so it could focus on the best ideas and use resources efficiently.

He also favours hiring people to stretch the organisation. “Hire people on culture – new talent – and let them define a little bit how you bring in new technologies. The next generation of employees can come up with solutions that are quite different.”

Read the full article over on Qantas.com.