Entrepreneurial Inspiration: Velcro and the power of creativity

Creativity is not just the domain of artists and musicians – it’s inherent in all entrepreneurs, too. Creativity is the ability to view the world in new ways, find hidden patterns, make connections between things that seem unrelated, and to find solutions. The ability to connect the dots in this way is the basis of some of the world’s most creative ideas and small businesses.

So, how can entrepreneurs be creative? Just think of Velcro.

In 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral took his dog on a hunting trip in the Alps. Back at home, Mestral, good engineer that he was, got out his microscope and examined the burrs that kept sticking to his clothes and his dog’s fur. He saw that they had hundreds of “hooks” that caught on anything with a loop, like his dog’s fur. And it knocked his socks off. He used this inspiration to invent Velcro – one of the world’s most popular products.

Mestral merged previously separate things to create a new combination that changed the clothing landscape. He used his creativity to see everyday things in new and useful ways.

Your creative ideas don’t have to be earth-shattering to be considered truly creative – what seemingly unrelated things can you combine to inspire a great new small business idea or way of improving your existing business?