Phone: 01242 260066 | Email accountants@mitchells.org

Innovate to grow

At Mitchells we can provide businesses in the Cheltenham area with support and advice on a wide range of business issues. Here are some thoughts on business innovation...

It is often said that the driving force behind continuous improvement in a business is innovation.

Innovation requires three basic skills:

  1. Sensitivity to the marketplace - being able to read the trends and identify emerging needs
  2. Inventiveness - the ability to develop a creative response to those needs, either by introducing a new product or service or by adapting existing ones
  3. Positioning and timing - the art of introducing the new product or service into the marketplace in the right place and at the right time

One of the most significant trends to emerge in the marketplace in recent years is that of increased time pressures combining with greater spending power among the working population. In other words, people are increasingly cash-rich, but time-poor.

Here are some examples of the way the retail sector has adapted to meet these new needs:

  • Supplying high-end prepared foods, such as microwave dinners or oven-ready meals, for busy consumers for whom both the convenience and the brand add value. Though targeted at narrower sectors of the market than traditional 'convenience foods' are, these products can command premium prices and so provide higher margins. Examples include Sainsbury's 'Taste the Difference' and Tesco's 'Finest' ranges.
  • Taking advantage of convenient locations or existing 'fast trade' to create one-stop shops where busy consumers can avail themselves of a number of fast track services under one roof. Again, the speed and convenience are often combined with top brands to leverage premium prices. A good example is a petrol station selling top-of-the-range grocery items, CDs and so on.

It is not difficult to see how these principles can be applied to other sectors - the key point is to stay in touch with your market and be flexible enough to adapt to its needs.

If you are in the Cheltenham area and are looking for support and help from experienced accountants and business advisers, contact Mitchells.

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Contact details

Office: 01242 260066

Company Registration No: 4161638
Company Registered in England and Wales.
Company details
Mitchell Glanville Limited
Registered Address: 41 Rodney Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1HX

Mitchell Glanville Limited regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales If, during the provision of professional services to you, you need advice on investments, we may have to refer you to someone who is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, as we are not. However, as we are licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, we may be able to provide certain investment services where these are complementary to or arise out of the professional services we are already providing to you.

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