Take a look at your business methods or the way you conduct business. Have you made any changes to it?

I recently visited a client specializing in construction materials. They develop and create new ways of making lighter, stronger, and more environmentally – friendly materials. I’ve heard plenty of innovation efforts to bring new capabilities into the marketplace.

One product we reviewed was a new way to think about concrete, brick, and mortar. I always see the value of bringing new products to market, but don’t always appreciate the back story of how a capability has evolved. Stated differently: how long have we lived in the old way?

Well, in the world of bricks, we’ve been doing it the same way for hundreds of years. As we know today, the making of bricks was “revolutionized” during the industrial revolution when we stopped making them by hand. Before that, looking at masonry products writ large, the use of some form of concrete goes back to the year 7000 BC. During trips to Mexico, I had learned that Mayans claim to have figured out mortar, thousands of years ago.

I don’t know about you, but I hadn’t given these primary construction products a second thought. I didn’t appreciate something so fundamental, and how it had been revolutionized so dramatically.

So, what’s the point?

Simple. Look around.

Are you overlooking something in your way of doing business that you take for granted? Are your business methods as old as brick and mortar?

When was the last time you innovated your way of conducting business? Share your experience in the comments.

Need help engaging with the federal government for policy or funding your product? If you need help, schedule a call with Gene.

To get a copy of my book, Pitching the Big Top: How to Master the 3-Ring Circus of Federal Sales or information on federal sales, visit Capitol Integration.