Get inspired to start innovating

Trendwatching.com, in its July-August issue, came up with the "Innovation Avalanche: 41 new business ideas ready to be copied, er ... get inspired by ;)". 

The website has divided its 41 new business ideas into many categories, including D(i)esign, hyperlocal, The crowd express, Enduring free love, Itgredients, Trivertising, Infinite transparency, Caring is the new taking, Meconomy, The convenience economy, Feeder business, Eco-iconic, Off=on. Here is an excerpt from the report:

Hyperlocal

You have heard it before: in a globalised, connected world, most people cling to the local more fanatically than ever. Whether it is fear of the unknown, or eco-concerns, or just the fact that, except for a tiny minority of jet-setting, rootless, high-potentials such as yourselves, millions of consumers find themselves in a local world 49 weeks of the year. Speaking to their preference for things produced locally, ethically, authentically (still made here!) will net you some innovations today.

n Sweatshop-free Canadian Blank sells blank, unbranded T-shirts and clothing made entirely in Quebec. Everything from fabric manufacture to dyeing, cutting and sewing is performed in the French-Canadian province, and through Blank's wholesale services, retailers can customise items with the colours, fabrics and formats of their choice.

The company operates two Montreal stores, both of which also serve as production sites - large windows at the back allow customers to see the clothes being made.

D(i)esign

Swedish FireInvent's The Safety Box is designed to provide complete fire protection in a single package. But the fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire blankets and torch lights included are not just ordinary versions of those items. Rather, they have been revamped for a modern, attractive look.

The Safety Box design, for example, includes a fire extinguisher and Snap Alarm in white or black; a black-and-white fire blanket in a modern, botanical design; plus an extra wall-mountable optical smoke detector.

Enduring free love

Now that the many drivers behind the "free" trend have been studied and mapped out, there is little more to do than turn those insights into new, free-for-all ventures.

n Parkingspots.com connects those who have parking spots to rent out with those who need them on a monthly basis. Launched this year, the Canada-based company gives spot holders a way to list their off-street spots, along with the price they want to charge. Those in search of a place to park can see what is available and choose a spot based on location and price.

Exact addresses are kept confidential until a match is made. The service is free for renters and for owners with just one or two spots to rent. Commercial lot owners with more than two spots at a single location must pay a one-time listing fee, roughly about a month's rent.

The crowd express

For years now, we have been fascinated by everything funded, organised, sourced, managed and powered by crowds.

n British BeerBankroll is creating a community-managed brewery. The company has only partially fleshed out its site, but aims to start a brewery and pub in which many of the key decisions are made by members. It is currently recruiting a minimum of 50,000 members, each of whom will contribute US$50 (Bt1,673) in exchange for voting rights on ideas such as the company name, logo, product design, product mix, marketing plan, advertising and sponsorship.

Assuming the concept goes well, profits will be divided three ways: one part to members in the form of reward points redeemable for products from the Beer Bankroll store, one part back to the company and one part to charity.

n Catwalk Genius has joined the crowd-funded fashion fray with its new "Adopt a Designer" programme, featuring fashion and accessories from independent designers. Through Adopt a Designer, supporters of a participating designer can buy shares (or "elements", as it calls them) in their work for ¤14 (Bt735) - plus a ¤1 processing fee - in the hope of sharing in future profits.

Once 5,000 such elements have been sold, the designer is given the resulting ¤70,000 to create a new collection within six months. In the meantime, supporters receive a limited-edition piece created exclusively for them by the designer.

This is the first part of a series.

Text has been edited for size.