• Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
Login Call Kapitus now: (800) 780-7133
New Kapitus
  • Problems We Solve
  • Products We Offer
  • Partner With Us
  • Blog
  • APPLY NOW
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
best books for small business owners

Best Books for Small Business Owners Series: The Innovator’s Dilemma

March 24, 2020/in Featured Stories, Operations, Sales and Marketing, Technology /by Anne Shaw

As a small business owner, do you consider how exploring new ideas can lead to future success? If making time for continuous learning isn’t at the top of your priorities, you’re not alone. And we want to help. Reading or listening to business books can offer new perspectives and help you understand classic business lessons. So, follow our Monthly Must-Reads series! In this series, we share the best books for small business owners. We’ll save you time by helping you determine whether each book is worth your attention. For each featured book we:

  • Identify exactly which types of business owners will benefit from reading it
  • Summarize the main points
  • Share key take-aways and reader reviews

This month, we cover The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen. Check out the end of this article for our past must-reads.

Business Book:

The Innovator’s Dilemma, by Clayton M. Christensen

Focus:

To uncover two innovation types and to understand the purpose of and necessity for each of them.

Main Idea:

When companies disregard opportunities for disruptive innovation, they risk going into the shadows of more inventive start-ups.

Great for Small Business Owners Who:

Develop innovative solutions for niche markets, or have long-standing businesses and want to protect themselves from dissipating.

Synopsis:

The Innovator’s Dilemma identifies and explains two types of innovation: sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. Sustaining innovation is the ongoing effort of listening to and improving from customer feedback. In this way, it satisfies customer’s current needs. Disruptive innovation helps companies evolve, to meet customers’ needs–often in an underserved market. Examples include the transition from digital to smartphone cameras, GPSs to navigation apps.

Christensen goes on to explain which types of companies typically focus on disruptive innovation and which ones lag behind—and why. He offers strategies for how both long-standing companies and new start-ups can successfully explore and benefit from disruptive innovation.

Key Take-Aways:

Large, well-resourced companies are more likely to ignore disruptive innovation and suffer because of it. They may not even notice niche markets. They might think that these markets aren’t offering enough rewards to compensate for the lack of credibility. These companies should continue their sustainable innovation efforts. They should also start paying attention to how niche markets want to use their products.

For start-ups and small businesses, disruptive innovation offers huge opportunities. They’re often first to market. Targeting small niche markets offers a more forgiving, cooperative and engaged customer base. Disruptive innovators don’t directly compete with larger, better-funded market leaders for customers. This means they have a higher chance of growing surprisingly quickly and unchecked.

Pursuing disruptive innovation can help companies take–or keep–their place as market leaders of the future.

Reviewers Say:

“Clayton Christensen’s The Innovator’s Dilemma…remains one of the most important business leadership books on the market… The pace of technological innovation has increased drastically… [but] the foundational principles remain the same—when companies are doing everything right, they can still lose their position of leadership in the market. Companies are incentivized to act in accordance with what their customers want, and if they are not careful, that mentality can preclude them from taking advantage of disruptive opportunities that their current customers are not yet interested in. Christensen’s warnings should be heeded by leaders and managers at all levels of the organization…. I look forward to reading about how the Innovator’s Dilemma can be addressed in this age of near-constant innovation and rapid technological advancement.”

“I’ve been involved in innovation most of my careers, and now wish I’d read this book much earlier. The simple but powerful thesis of the book is backed up by data and case studies from disparate industries. Like many business books it is a bit repetitive at the end… But the ideas and usefulness are five stars.”

Monthly Best Books for Small Business Owners:

August, 2019 – Blitzscaling

September, 2019 – The E-Myth Revisited

October, 2019 – Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

November, 2019 – Built to Last

December, 2019 – Multipliers

January, 2020 – Start with Why

February, 2020 – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

[skyword_tracking /]

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Share on Vk
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://kapitus.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/InnovatorsDilemma-1.png 436 640 Anne Shaw /wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kapitus_Logo_white-2-300x81.png Anne Shaw2020-03-24 10:44:342020-03-24 10:44:34Best Books for Small Business Owners Series: The Innovator’s Dilemma

LATEST FROM KAPITUS

  • Latest Riot-Related Small Business Loans and Grants
  • Forget the Feds! Take advantage of Regional Support for Your Business
  • Life-Saving Measures for Small Businesses on the Brink of Closure
  • Banding Together: How Businesses are Joining Forces in the Age of COVID-19
  • Rethinking Revenue Models During Re-Opening and Beyond

Subscribe To Our Blog For More Tips On How To Grow Your Business

Categories

  • Accounting & Taxes
  • Company News
  • Featured Stories
  • Financing
  • Human Resources
  • Living Your Best SBO Life
  • Making Her Mark – Influential Women Business Owners
  • Monthly Must Reads
  • Operations
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized

About Us

  • Media Center
  • Team
  • Careers
  • Events
  • Success Stories
  • The Kapitus Difference
  • Developer Documentation
  • Blog

Products

  • Revenue Based Financing
  • Helix Healthcare Financing
  • Business Loans
  • SBA Loans
  • Line of Credit
  • Invoice Factoring
  • Equipment Financing
  • Purchase Order Financing
  • Concierge Services

Contact Us

  • (800) 780-7133
  • Email Us

Signup For Our Newsletter

Copyright 2021 • Kapitus • All Rights Reserved | Loans made in California are issued by Strategic Funding Source, Inc. dba Kapitus, pursuant to California Finance Lenders License No. 603-G807.
Sitemap | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy - Enfold WordPress Theme by Kriesi
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
Kind Apparel: How This Business Owner is Overcoming Challenges With a Fast-Growing... mallory ottariano kind apparel Kapitus PPP Survey Why Have So Few “Small” Businesses Gotten Relief from the SBA?
Scroll to top
  • Whether you want to learn more about our financing options, are interested in becoming a partner or just have a general question, we’re here to help! Simply fill out the form below and we’ll get it directly into the inbox of the right person.
Partial Capture

Step 1 of 4 - Tell us about you

25%
  • Sign up for the Kapitus Partner Program!

  • Sign up for the Kapitus Partner Program!

  • Sign up for the Kapitus Partner Program!

  • Sign up for the Kapitus Partner Program!

Step 1 of 10 - TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRIMARY FINANCING NEED

10%
  • Find the right financing product for you.

    Answer a few questions and we’ll match you with the best product based on your needs and current situations.

  • 1. Answer a few questions. You let us know some basic information about your financing needs, so we can find a match.
    2. See your financing matches. You'll get matched with up to four financing options based on your answers.
    3. Apply for financing. You can apply for all of your financing options by completing one simple application and providing a few documents.
    4. Get an Advisor: You have the option to be assigned a financing specialist to help guide you through the application process.
    If you are looking to determine the best financing option for you, our matching tool streamlines the process and arms you with information that you can use before you apply. To match you with your best options, we ask you to answer a series of basic questions about your existing and future needs, current financial health, and your financing preferences – including amount to be financed, ideal terms and financing urgency. Our system then finds you up to four financing options to fit your needs. Once you’re matched, you can expect to be contacted by one of our financing specialists to help you navigate the application and selection processes.
  • Find your financing match


  • Each financing product has its own minimum and maximum requirements around the amount of money that can be acquired through that option.
  • Find your financing match



    • Business Accountants
    • Marketing & PR Agencies
    • Commercial Cleaning Companies
    • Printers
    • Human Resource & Payroll Firms
    • Office Supplies Organizations
    • Salons/Spas
    • Gyms & Other Workout Studios
    • Pet Services Companies
    • Personal Accountants
    • Home Cleaning Companies
    • Residential Landscaping
  • There are financing options created to meet the specific needs of particular industries.
  • Find your financing match

  • Thank you for reaching out to Kapitus. Unfortunately, our financing products are only available for existing businesses and we will not be able to help you at this time.


  • The amount of time your business has been in operation is a deciding factor in the type of financing options available to you.
  • Find your financing match


  • Each financing product has its own minimum requirement for the amount of revenue being brought into a business on either a monthly or an annual basis. In addition, your monthly and/or annual revenue can dictate the length and term on your financing option.
  • Find your financing match


  • Each financing product offers different payback lengths and terms.
  • Find your financing match


  • Each financing product has different paperwork and underwriting processes. As a result, the amount of time it takes to get approved for one type of financing over another can vary significantly.
  • Find your financing match

  • Find your financing match


  • There are financing options for every credit type, however your personal credit score will determine your eligibility for each financing type.
  • We’re finding your match

  • Get A Free Quote Today

  • When Did You Start Your Business?
  • Kapitus needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy.