As North Americans continue to slowly pull out of the longest economic recession most of us can remember, I recall an expression taught by my mentor when I first entered the business world back in the late sixties. He used to remind our clients that if they were not growing their business it would eventually be surpassed by another business that was more innovative and harder working.

Most businesses create a new product or service and then try to write some sort of advertising to sell it. Just for once, try my ‘ass-backwards' approach to creating amazing, customer-owning products, services or experiences.

Whatever industry you're in, the businesses that populate them fall into three basic categories, which mimic the ‘good, better, best' philosophy almost retailer understands and adheres to. First, there are the hundreds of mediocre, run-of-the-mill, undifferentiated businesses. They're a commodity with no pricing power and, usually, not much of a future.

The defining instrument that brought about the victories of the Arab Spring and the media credited for electing Barak Obama as President of the United States seems off the radar screen of most home goods retailers. Even the wannabees throughout our society know that a social media presence of some kind is required for any kind of success.