Staying Ahead of the Curve: The Innovators

A new product or concept can ride a longer wave, like the phenomenal retail giant Sharper Image(SHRP). Richard Thalheimer's dream store for tech innovation amazement went into bankruptcy protection in 2008. Was it his fault? It was the lousy economic malaise and shift in consumer spending. Some would say, "It was his fault for not realizing/recognizing that shift could come and altering his business model to anticipate it."

And something can endure, seemingly forever, by concerted efforts. Think of powerhouses like S.C. Johnson, Clorox(CLX), Arm and Hammer, a core brand of Church & Dwight(CHD), Proctor & Gamble(PG). Is there no stopping these companies?

So what's the moral of the story, the crux of the column, the bottom line you ask? Let me channel two great minds to answer that: the first, Yogi Berra who said: It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future. Then, as Charles Darwin noted, "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

-- Written by Vince Crew in Naples, Fla.

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