Using Beer and Spouses to Foster Innovation

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL—Small businesses inevitably face bigger, better-funded rivals that can outspend them in almost every area. To keep up, companies at the Top Small Workplaces conference say they have to innovate constantly — and that often means tapping into employees’ ideas.

Surveys are a popular option — companies administer them anonymously, to find out what employees really think. One company, New Media Strategies Inc., enlists a team of volunteers to sift through the survey results so the opinions and ideas reach a broader group than the top executives.

Other popular ideas: family events that allow spouses and kids to offer ideas. A couple of beers may help lubricate and accelerate that process, note chief executives. Read article.