Innovation

• 1Did your business introduce at least one new, or significantly improved product, service, design, or process into the market during the last year?
• 1aWas it one new or significantly improved product, service, design, or process, or was it more than one?
• 1bWas it a product, service, design, or process?
• 1cDid this new or significantly improved, product, service, design, or process put you ahead of the competition, allow you to stay abreast of the competition, or let you catch up to the competition?
• 1dAre you attempting to license, or otherwise sell, the rights of this new (product/service/design/process) to other businesses that will resell it?
• 1eWhere did you get the idea for this (product/service/design/process)? Did you develop it from scratch yourself, upgrade or modify it based on what you saw somewhere else, or directly copy an idea you saw somewhere else?
• 1gApproximately, how many years has it been since your business introduced at least one new or significantly improved product, service, design, or process into the market?
• 2Does your business purposefully innovate or invent things with the intention of selling or licensing those innovations or inventions?Top 100 question
• 2aApproximately, what percent of your sales come from your innovations or inventions?
• 3Within the last three years, have you applied to a government agency for financial assistance to develop new products, services, designs, or processes?
• 4Do you, in your own or in the business’s name, own a patent that you actively use as part of the business?Top 100 question
• 5Do you, in your own or in the business’s name, own a copyright that you actively use as part of the business?Top 100 question
• 6Does your business design things to be sold, whether or not those designs are patentable or copyrightable?
• 6aApproximately, what percent of your sales come from things you have designed?
• 7Do you specifically and directly encourage employees to suggest ideas for new products or services, or better ways to produce or distribute your products or services?
• 7aDoes your business give bonuses or special recognition to employees who come up with useful ideas that you are able to turn into improved products, services, designs, or processes? Is that bonuses, recognition or both?
• 7a1In the last year, how many different employees received such recognition or bonuses?
• 7bDo you have any employees including yourself whose primary job is to develop new products, services, designs, or processes?
• 8Would it be most accurate to describe your business as a producer of technology, an extensive user of technology, or as one that avoids technology whenever possible?
• 9A(reason to avoid technology) Technology costs too much.
• 9B(reason to avoid technology) Confusion and upheaval always accompany technology.
• 9C(reason to avoid technology) Technology depersonalizes and changes the atmosphere.
• 9D(reason to avoid technology) The business ends up serving the technology rather than the opposite.

Volume 5, Issue 6, 2005
ISSN 1534-8326

William J. Dennis, Jr.
NFIB Research Foundation