The annals of business history are full of tales – perhaps even myths – of eureka moments that changed whole companies, industries and in some cases even daily life. One of the classics of the genre comes from match manufacturer Swan Vesta, which is said to have saved millions of pounds after an employee suggested they only run the strip used to spark matches on one side of the box, rather than both. Or there's the story of Colgate making a larger hole in its tubes of toothpaste to encourage us to use more and spur sales – the mastermind idea of a cleaner who overheard a group of marketers struggling to come up with new ideas in a meeting, according to legend.
Whether the genesis of these lightbulb moments is true or not, there are plenty of brilliant ideas that genuinely solved serious business problems. Here are six simple solutions to what must have looked like insurmountable business challenges.
Capping disruptions
When Asda moved to an open-plan office, its staff became frustrated by the constant interruptions. Then-leader Archie Norman had an idea off the top of his head: dole out baseball caps to office workers to wear to signal they didn't want to be disrupted. The rest of us simply plug headphones in our ears and scowl, but Norman's method meant staff could still hear what was happening throughout the rest of the office. It's reported Norman himself never wore a baseball cap at work, but was known to sport jeans from the company's clothing range on casual Fridays.
A van half full
Catalogue sales firm Argos was looking for ways to save cash, so asked its staff for ideas. Part-time van driver Mark Heslehurst had a simple one: have delivery vans fill up only at Sainsburys' petrol stations, as the grocery giant had just bought Argos. The company ran with the idea, saving £1.5m in refuelling costs, thanking Heslehurst with a £10 voucher.
Apple's simple solution
Apple founder Steve Jobs is famous for many complicated inventions and innovations, with a legacy that lives on via the iPhone and iPad, but this story centres on the Macintosh computing lineup. In 1997, the company was working on a roadmap with a dozen versions of the classic Apple computer.
According to reports, bewildered by too many options – and realising customers would be too – he marched to the front of the room and drew a grid of two-by-two. At the top, he wrote "Pro" and "Consumer", while down the side he wrote "Desktop" and "Portable", telling his staff to make just four products, one for each designation. That move slimmed the lineup to the simple range Apple is now famous for.
Flatpack spark
Ikea is famous for its flatpack furniture, an idea that reduced costs of bookshelves, tables and more – and drove many of us to frustration attempting to assemble the bits ourselves. The Swedish icon wasn't founded on the idea, though. In 1956 a draughtsman employed at the company, Gillis Lundgren, was moving a table and sawed off the legs for it to fit in his car – sparking the idea of self-build furniture sold ready-to-assemble. The first product was the Lovet, a three-legged side table that could collapse down, taking Ikea from a tiny supplier to a furniture phenomenon.
Mini idea
The Mini was created to give Brits a locally made option for a smaller, energy-efficient car. Such goals meant a tiny vehicle, cutting into passenger space – giving Mini designer Alec Issigonis a challenge. The 3-metre car needed to carry four people plus luggage. One of the ideas that made that possible was fitting a transverse engine, which simply means installing it sideways. The goal was to save space, but it worked so well that many smaller modern cars still use the same system. Mini also included wicker picnic baskets designed to fit under the seats – sadly that idea didn't catch on.
Time for change
In the 1970s, Swiss watchmakers were in a panic: Japanese rivals such as Seiko and Casio were eating their lunch with cheaper, high-quality rival watches. One major investor took action, hiring well-known manufacturing expert Nicolas Hayek. His solution wasn't simple: restructure the entire Swiss watchmaking industry to compete. But one of his best ideas was simple: make a low-end watch to vie for market share with the Japanese, and thus the Swatch was born.
These eureka moments might have helped seal the successes of some of the world's biggest brands, but they don't always come easy – especially when you're immersed in the day-to-day challenges of running a business. But there are ways to reduce the amount of time you spend on routine things like admin and accounts. Bankline from NatWest can help you manage your cashflow and accounts, giving you easy access to your business' payments and transactions – in one place.
You never know, taking care of these less exciting tasks might just free up enough brain space for your own act of genius.
Bankline, NatWest's online banking service, allows you to take control of your business finances. Manage multiple business accounts, see all your transactions in real time and make secure domestic and international payments. To find out more visit business.natwest.com
