What comes to mind when you hear the word “innovation?” Quick—grab a pen and paper and jot down the first five things that you think about. Many decades ago, I thought of things such as technology, inventions, and the future when someone talked about innovation. The flying cars and robots you’d see on The Jetsons represented innovation to me.

I’ll be candid: Innovation is becoming an overused word. Every time I see a commercial, companies are touting how innovative they are. News media match the word with flashy images. Marketers use it nonstop in taglines and campaigns. Who can blame them? Innovation is a great buzzword; it sounds so appealing, modern, exciting, and enticing.

As a result of such frequent use of the term, many manufacturers think of innovation as high-tech inventions and modern technological advancements. To be innovative, you have to invest significant resources into new technology and endless brainstorming sessions, right? Your CEO has to be the next Steve Jobs. Innovation is expensive, exclusively for large manufacturers or companies in Silicon Valley with disposable money. It is therefore too difficult for a small or midsized businesses—or so we’re led to believe.

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