What does it mean to be a business pioneer?

Does the word pioneer conjure up images of covered wagons, funny bonnets, and the "old west"? Well, circle your wagons and don't get your pinafore in a twist, but all of us in UB are pioneers RIGHT NOW in 2007!

For many of us in The Hive, this is our first venture into direct sales. For others of us, we come to the table with direct sales experience. But for most of us, this is our very first time pioneering a product and concept that is totally new to the market.

I personally have worked with several start-up businesses. During the dot-com heyday of the mid-to-late nineties, I gained a TON of experience with start-ups. And so did many of my friends. And we all shared stories and learned valuable lessons.

Bringing a new product to the market is a thrilling experience for some. It can be absolutely terrifying for others. For most people, the comfort level falls somewhere in the middle. I would venture to guess that for most of us involved in UB, we have an above average tolerance for risk. We also are quick to understand innovations and recognize a hot trend before most people.

Otherwise you probably would not have taken the plunge and become a Fragrance Designer. Right? (take a moment to pat yourself on the back, you hip trendspotter!)

The ride with a new company can be somewhat of a rollercoaster. As Shawna has said, it isn't a sprint but it is more of a marathon. I think it is really helpful to understand the mentality of our customers. Not from a customer service or demographic standpoint, but to understand how people tend to react to "new" ideas.

There are several theories out there but one I have seen used in several disciplines (from eLearning, to healthcare) is the Theory of Innovation Diffusion that Everett Rogers published in 1962. I grabbed a concise snippet of what it is from Wikipedia.

I personally haven't read his book, I've just been exposed to it by several presentations I've attended over the years. I do, however, highly recommend The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a great mix of culture and statistics about how trends really take hold in society.

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From Wikipedia:
Theories of Innovation Diffusion

French sociologist Gabriel Tarde originally claimed that sociology was based on small psychological interactions among individuals, especially imitation and innovation.

Diffusion of innovations theory was formalized by Everett Rogers in a 1962 book called Diffusion of Innovations. Rogers stated that adopters of any new innovation or idea could be categorized as innovators (2.5%), early adopters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%) and laggards (16%), based on a bell curve. Each adopter's willingness and ability to adopt an innovation would depend on their awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption.

Some of the characteristics of each category of adopter include:

1. innovators:venturesome, educated, multiple info sources, greater propensity to take ris
2. early adopters:social leaders, popular, educated
3. early majority: deliberate, many informal social contacts
4. late majority: skeptical, traditional, lower socio-economic status
5. laggards: neighbours and friends are main info sources, fear of debt

Rogers also proposed a five stage model for the diffusion of innovation:

1. Knowledge - learning about the existence and function of the innovation


2. Persuasion - becoming convinced of the value of the innovation


3. Decision - committing to the adoption of the innovation


4. Implementation - putting it to use


5. Confirmation - the ultimate acceptance (or rejection) of the innovation

The S-Curve and technology adoption


The adoption curve becomes a s-curve when cumulative adoption is used.Rogers theorized that innovations would spread through society in an S curve, as the early adopters select the technology first, followed by the majority, until a technology or innovation is common.

The speed of technology adoption is determined by two characteristics p, which is the speed at which adoption takes off, and q, the speed at which later growth occurs. A cheaper technology might have a higher p, for example, taking off more quickly, while a technology that has network effects (like a fax machine, where the value of the item increases as others get it) may have a higher q.

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So what does all of this mean? It means that it might take a little longer to see a boom in party bookings or new recruits. It means that for almost everyone you tell about UB, they might need to hear about it several times (and in different ways) because they have never heard of it before.

Try to think about those people you know who "know" everyone and know every trend (they are the innovators and early adopters). Seek them out. They will help you tremendously in getting the word out.

We are the ones spreading the word about this amazing company. And it will likely take longer for us to see definite results in our businesses (than it would if we were in a more established company with major brand awareness). But for those of us who stick with it, the rewards will no doubt be absolutely worth it!

Hopefully you all find this information useful!