The Alpha Dogs Blog

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the New York Times Small Business Summit – a conference that’s only in its second year, but that nonetheless attracts more than its fair share of small business luminaries. It was organized by small business guru, Jane Applegate, who managed to book 1-800-Flowers CEO Jim McCann as the keynote speaker. What a treat! Jim owned 14 flower shops in New York City before he acquired the 1-800-Flowers number in 1986, then moved his business onto the Web in 1995. He was kind enough to speak to me today about a story I’m working on for Inc. Magazine, and I was struck once again by his wisdom and his humility. “The best business ideas are already invented,” he told me. More often than not, for small business owners that means “stealing great ideas and adapting them to fit your business.” Jim got the idea for his own “Fresh Rewards” loyalty program from a donut. “I was at Duncan Donuts and I got a card that said buy nine donuts and the tenth one is on us,” he recalls. He tweaked the concept for his own business, giving customers a powerful incentive to keep coming back. Have you ever “stolen” a great idea? Let’s hear about it!