These days, your competitors have access to the same knowledge base as you do via the internet. In the past, knowledge took years to build up and was more difficult to transfer. Now, almost anyone can access information and learn to do virtually anything (or at the least find an expert to help them). Because every person can find potentially find out anything – or how to make anything – within two clicks of a mouse, this means that "knowledge" alone cannot give you a competitive edge. Your edge now must come from another source: and that is by offering your customers something no-one else can. In order to do this though, you have to make connections between parts of the knowledge base that have never been connected before. Or, putting it simply, you have to be creative. CREATIVITY IS THE NEW POWER.

Only by offering your customers new products and services, can you hope to differentiate your business from everyone else in the market, and thus capture your customers. You have to be constantly creating new ideas so that when any potential customer enters your market for the first time, your business will stand out – and you’ll grab their attention AND their hard-earned cash.  

As well as the flatness of knowledge driving the need for "newness" in your business, there is a second reason why the net threatens your business too.

Every time you bring out a new idea out, the whole world can see it within minutes. Then it can be copied – and, even more worryingly, made even better, quicker than you can say “Chinese knock–off”. This means that as soon as your "baby" is born, you tip off all your competitors about it. Which means that very soon, they’ll have their own version of your baby, vying for the attention (and money) of your customers.

And so, it’s absolutely imperative you launch something even newer very soon… and have another baby fast. So get shagging (creating)!

So, say it loud and say it proud: "Knowledge Is Dead – Long Live Creativity!"

Shed Simove is an author, comedian, corporate speaker and modern-day entrepreneurial genius. See more of his adventures and products on www.IdeasMan.co.uk and follow shed on Twitter.

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