Small Business Ideas

If a man can make a better mousetrap, though he builds his house in the woods the world will make a beaten path to his door. Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo by Simon Welsh

In the early part of the 20th Century, the Animal Trap Company of America sold a five cent mousetrap. For years, the president of the company, Chester M. Woolworth, had tried to improve it, and in 1928 he succeeded.

Yet, he couldn't sell it. One problem was that it sold for twelve cents -- almost two and one-half times as much as its predecessor. Another is explained at page 8 in Venture Capital: A Guidebook for New Enterprises (U.S. Govt. Printing Office 1972):

Mr. Woolworth failed to look carefully at the way the average family used a mousetrap. The mousetrap was normally purchased by the husband who set the trap at night after the children were in bed . In the morning, the husband hurried off to work leaving the dead mouse in the trap. The housewife did not want a dead mouse around all day so she would pick up the trap and dispose of the mouse and the trap.

Unfortunately for Mr. Woolworth, the new trap looked too expensive to throw away. So, the wife was forced to remove the mouse and clean the trap. Obviously, the average housewife felt much happier with the old five cent trap which could be thrown away. While the husband might buy the improved trap, the wife did not want it to be used. Thus, sales of the improved mousetrap were very low.

When any small business creates a brilliant invention or new idea, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be successful if they haven't taken into account the context in which the invention or idea is used.

Always do your research on your clients, dig into their minds to find out why and how they buy from you and your opposition and get to know what is truly important to them.

Selling is not about forcing a product that they don't need or want onto a customer.In my world view it is all about knowing what your customer needs and wants. If your product genuinely helps fill those needs and wants then your job is to show them how your product or service can fill their needs and wants in the best possible way.

I look at it as if someone you cared about was struggling with a problem. If you knew a solution to their problem - wouldn't you want to share it with them? That to me is what selling with integrity is all about.

So ... back to the mousetrap. Just because you have created a better mousetrap doesn't mean your customers want or need a better mousetrap. Before you leap off and try and sell something - stop and put yourself in your customers shoes first.

Until next time

Labels: small business ideas, small business marketing ideas