Paperight

In Monday’s session we examined Paperight; an innovative Print on Demand company operating in South Africa.  We had the opportunity to ask the founder, Arthur Atwell, about how the company and its business model work, and got an insight into what is required for successful innovation. 

Arthur emphasised that his simple idea is based on streamlining the traditional business model, which cuts costs and therefore increases profit.  This suggests that a thorough understanding of how the traditional business model works is essential for successful innovation. 

Arthur told us about people in Ethiopia renting newspapers to read the job advertisements, which has inspired him to consider venturing into this area himself.  This demonstrates that an innovator must be aware of the potential problems in the market they can solve, must stay up to date with current issues, and must be constantly thinking differently about their business and its function in the marketplace. 

It is also important for a business to be aware of its competition and be well connected.  Underestimation of either aspect could cripple a business, as both are increasingly important in the current marketplace.