Plants, in spite of their limitations when compared to animals in seeking favourable conditions to live, have still well survived and flourished on this planet. One of the ways that has helped them evolve successfully is the dispersal of seeds which is supported by several agents like wind that carries seeds with hairs or wings, birds and animals that eat fleshy fruits and disperse the seeds inside them.
It is interesting to note how well plants adapt to their habitat, particularly when it comes to seed dispersal. In Australia where forest fires are a common occurrence, certain species of pine trees make use of the heat from the fire to open up their cones and release the seeds. Mangrove trees that live in swampy areas produce seeds that can float. Seeds germinate under favourable conditions and produce new offsprings.
This might be useful tip for businesses that wish to spread out to new areas and reach new markets. They need to find agents and a sustainable means to continually introduce their products or services to new customers and take actions to nourish and strengthen the enablers that will make the growth happen.
Companies, in their quest to reach the prospective customer, sometimes identify brilliant techniques that grab the attention. The new nano-factories developed by Unilever are designed to fit inside a container, so that they can go anywhere in the world. These so called ‘travel factories’ will help the Company to respond quickly to demands in local markets. Since the nano-factories are designed to make small batches of products with local materials, Unilever also claims that making products closer to the source, cuts down their footprint!I
If we fire up our innovation engine, it is very much possible to identify hundreds of business growth strategies. Let’s do it!
by Dr. Deepika Prabhu, ITF