In the past few decades, no one would argue that life in the business world has become increasingly cutthroat. Firms are always scrambling to get an edge over the competitor and to be the first to discover a new business solution that will set their company above the rest. If a business owner desires to propel his business past the critical one-year mark, he must utilize the various services offered by professional consultant services. These services can be costly, especially for someone who is just starting a small business with little capital or revenue.

Not only consultants can come up with innovative business ideas, though. Business owners who are willing to look for them can find innovative ideas in even the most ordinary places. The digital world in particular provides lots of opportunities to develop a successful business model.

There are endless possibilities for creativity and outside the box thinking when it comes to marketing. The most valuable marketing ideas are the creative, innovative ones. Incorporated into a business model, these ideas are unbeatable. This is important to businesses of all kinds, but particularly in small businesses, a smart marketing campaign can propel a tiny, obscure company into the limelight.

Publicity is necessary if a business wants to be known among the purchasers. Proper television, radio, newspaper and billboard marketing is particularly important if a product does not necessarily appeal to the general public. Advertising must reach the individuals who would be interested. The internet allows one to use their money wisely and reach a significant percentage of the potential audience.

However, marketing is not the only area where entrepreneurs are in search of new business ideas. Integrating new resources to locate and screen new hires is an important area for business owners to consider. By expanding the search for new employees to a wider group of applicants, better quality employees can be located.

In all of these areas, it is important for people starting a small business to be open to innovative ideas that create an advantage in a competitive marketplace. The greatest threat to a startup business is a closed-minded attitude toward new business ideas. Those business people who are able to adopt new practices and seamlessly integrate them into their business model will be successful in this new business age.

In recent years, the business world has been increasingly competitive. Innovative business ideas can create an advantage for the new small business owner, and these ideas can be found in even the most unlikely places — in particular, the emerging digital world. Publicity is key, and since typical types of media marketing may not appeal to the general public, entrepreneurs must learn to think outside the box and embrace fresh marketing ideas to promote their product. Those business people who can adjust to the new paradigm will be successful in starting a small business.

- Jose DeJesus MD, MBA