Australia's online magazine for entrepreneurs & SMEs

Is your company entrepreneurial and innovative?

Last Updated: Friday, 16 May 2008

By Colin Benjamin and Amanda Gome

Take the Skills Check, score your responses, and see if your capabilities add up. Answer our 10 questions (where a ranking of three means you strongly agree) and see how you rate.

(1) Our top team encourages shareholders and team members to enjoy taking up the challenges of change.

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(2) We have a formal opportunity search program to ensure that we are always ahead.

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(3) Our customers regard us as more flexible, adaptive and responsible than competitors in the industry.

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(4) We work closely with our major customers to find business solutions that are mutually rewarding.

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(5) We undertake specialised creative and strategic thinking exercises to build rapid response capacity.

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(6) We are recognised in our industry for innovation.

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(7) We invest heavily in new patterns of production, distribution and exchange for first mover advantages.

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(8) Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurism provide us with a constant source of new business projects.

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(9) We recycle ideas and techniques from other firms to create new customers in emerging territories.

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(10) Each of our business units is given time and resources to work on ways to generate new business growth.

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How did you rate?

• 10-15 You and your company lack an entrepreneurial mindset.
• 16-25 Mmmm, borderline. It could be a good idea to hire an entrepreneurial team around you, and get some mentors on board.
• 26-30 Congratulations. You have a good chance of winning a SmartCompany award

 

 

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