Dear Friend and Fellow Entrepreneur,

You’ve probably heard the mantra: “Be original. Be creative. Invent. Innovate.” But in Dan Kennedy’s Book, No B.S. Guide to Succeeding in Business By Breaking All The Rules, he suggests there is great value in a different approach. Instead of reinventing the wheel, study what works and replicate it.

Originality has its place, but proven methods often yield better results. You don’t have to invent a new product or service to be successful. Sometimes, improving on existing products or services or tweaking them can lead to wild success.

Look at McDonald's. Ray Kroc didn’t invent the hamburger or the fast-food restaurant. What he did was study the efficient system the McDonald brothers had created and saw the potential to replicate and scale it. By improving on their methods, standardizing the process, and creating a franchise model, he built one of the most successful fast-food chains in the world. Kroc didn’t invent something new; he perfected an existing concept and executed it brilliantly.

Consider Starbucks. Howard Schultz didn’t invent coffee or the coffee shop. He saw an opportunity in the way Italian coffee bars operated and brought that concept to the United States. By creating a unique customer experience and focusing on quality, ambiance, and customer service, Schultz transformed Starbucks into a global coffee empire. He didn’t start from scratch; he improved on what already existed and made it better.

Now, let’s talk about you and your business. You don’t need to come up with an entirely new product or service to be successful. Look at what’s already working in your industry. Study the market leaders and analyze what they do well. Then, think about how you can improve on those methods. Maybe it’s better customer service, a more streamlined process, or a slight tweak to the product that adds significant value.

Take Dollar Shave Club as an example. They didn’t invent razors or the subscription model. They saw an opportunity to disrupt the traditional razor market dominated by giants like Gillette by offering a subscription service that delivered razors directly to customers at a lower cost. Their marketing was fresh and engaging, resonating with a younger audience. By improving on an existing product and business model, they created a company that was so successful it was acquired by Unilever for a billion dollars.

You can do the same in your business. Identify a product or service that already exists and think about how you can make it better. Maybe it’s about enhancing the user experience, offering better customer support, or finding a way to reduce costs without compromising quality. Focus on the details that others might overlook. These small improvements can lead to significant success.

Dan Kennedy’s logic is clear: you don’t have to be the first to market to be successful. You just need to be better. Look at what’s working, learn from it, and find ways to improve it. Originality and creativity are valuable, but they’re not the only paths to success. Sometimes, the best approach is to build on what’s already there and make it better.

By studying successful businesses and replicating their proven methods with your unique improvements, you can carve out your own path to success. You don’t have to invent a new wheel; you just need to make the current wheel spin faster, smoother, and more efficiently. So, stop stressing about being completely original. Focus on how you can take existing ideas and make them better. That’s where you’ll find your greatest opportunities for success.

If you’re ready to streamline your processes, create a more dynamic customer experience, or reinvent your marketing strategy so that it repeatedly generates a great ROI, then call or text me at 301-873-5791 or visit www.elaunchers.com to book an appointment. Join the growing list of clients experiencing their best year yet because they said YES to eLaunchers.

I look forward to speaking with you and helping in every way I can.