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Introduction

A famous business aphorism has been applied to many companies. It goes ‘All their
plans were unsuccessful, and all their successes were unplanned.’ Planned or un-
planned, the ideas in this book have the common factor of ‘success’, sometimes
simple but hugely significant (see the Biro Idea 57), sometimes hugely complicated
ideas whose physical success did not lead immediately to financial reward (see
Eurotunnel Idea 22).

Thus our definition of success can be seen as wider than financial gain. Over-
whelmingly, however, the famous, occasionally infamous, great business ideas have
led to huge financial rewards to innovators (see Edison Idea 4) and shareholders (see
Coca-Cola Idea 54).

Perhaps the trickiest part of the title is the bit that says ‘of all time.’ There must
have been a time before money Idea 39 was invented – and that, along with interest
rates, really enabled almost all of the other ideas to be expressed and compared. To
look after this type of business idea, there is a section on great financial ideas that
enable business to exist.

When you look at great business ideas you are immediately struck by the fact
that, however brilliant they were, almost all of them needed to be sold. New selling
ideas are in abundance, from good old door-to-door salespeople, through great sell-
ing innovations to the wondrous activities made possible by the Internet. I also
include the greatest selling or closing techniques which, proven over the ages, are
still the best tips for selling things or just for getting your own way.

Then there is computer technology. This has growth on a logarithmic scale.
Microsoft Idea 50 had a growth rate that is far more dramatic than that of IBM Idea
92 as they each became dominant in their own area. One could be forgiven for
believing that nothing could grow faster than sales of Windows software, but only