I walked onto the plane. A flight from Seattle to Fairbanks. It’s usually quiet after everyone boards because they are nestling down to prepare for a 3.5 hour snooze. Normally, many are recovering from sunburn and don’t want to talk as they prepare for their return to the frozen north.

But it wasn’t quiet. The plane was abuzz with bubbling conversations. I found it curious so I listened carefully to what was being said.

“The aurora…”

“Northern Lights are very active right now.”

“Have you seen them before?”

The woman seated next to me explained she had not left her husband and four children in four years, but was taking this trip to Fairbanks with her sister to see the Northern Lights. They were scheduled to take a shuttle from the airport to a hotel about thirty five minutes away.

The hotel, 25 miles north of Fairbanks, features a collection of individual fiberglass geodesic igloos with clear roofs so the occupants can watch the aurora in the comfort of their own bed.

We often take for granted what is outside our own door.

I’ve lived in Fairbanks for a long time. I never tire of watching the Aurora Borealis. Rivers of fluid color roll across the sky above our home on clear nights when the conditions are right. All the recent solar activity has made lots of the right conditions. Charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field creating an extravaganza of color. Always different. They may appear for only a few minutes or for several hours.

Tourists have been coming to Fairbanks for years to try and catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. It’s not a comfortable experience for them because it’s cold and difficult to know when they will appear. The timing of the light show’s appearance can’t be predicted. Standing out in the cold for hours isn’t pleasant. Temperatures of minus 30 and minus 40 degrees are not unusual in the interior of Alaska. When you give up and go back inside, that is when the lights will probably appear. It’s frustrating to hear how fantastic the light show was the next day.

This unique hotel is an exciting example of a successful business strategy. The entrepreneur analyzed the drawbacks of aurora viewing and found unusual solutions to solve the discomfort issues. He seized the opportunity to buy land in the northern hills (away from city lights) and build individual domes for viewing and sleeping. It is an unusual and daring solution to use small geodesic domes for a hotel. But it enables the guests to remain cozy warm and see the splendor of the aurora in the comfort and privacy of their own bed.

His interesting solution is a reminder to not get stuck thinking there is only one way to do things.

Considering obstacles and developing ways to overcome them can enable you to access new opportunities for your business.

It may take unusual and bold strategy.

It may take studying solutions in other business categories.

It will definitely take creative brainstorming.

That is what Wizards of Ads Partners do best.

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