Changing horses in mid stream may be the best idea once in a while. The businessman that can recognize and seize a new direction is often the most successful. Such was the case of Mr. Wrigley.
. Wrigley: Gum wasn’t part of the initial business model
William Wrigley Jr. got his start hawking his father’s soap products on the streets of Philadelphia. After moving to Chicago in 1891, Wrigley began offering incentives to entice shopkeepers to carry his ware, including free cans of baking powder with every order. When the baking powder proved more popular than the soap, Wrigley began selling that instead, tossing in two packs of chewing gum per order to sweeten the deal. The gum was such a hit that in 1893 Wrigley debuted two new brands of gum of his own, Juicy Fruit and Wrigley’s Spearmint. Ever the savvy marketer, in 1915 Wrigley sent free gum samples to every American household listed in phone books.
I guess what it boils down to is the ability to see when a new direction is needed and then take the appropriate steps. Sometimes change is a good thing, ya know?
Coffee out on the patio this morning. It's getting hot early, so be ready!
