Several things are apparent to business owners:  serving your customers, making money, covering your costs, and finding the next customer.

You could probably also include:  having a vision, developing a plan, executing, and following through.

Where do new ideas, design, and innovation fit in?

The first thing to understand is that they serve the needs of the business.  New ideas for products and services can help push a business forward, but they are a slave to the needs of the business and the people running it.  If your company has a visionary leader, then your ideas are likely to be supported if they make financial sense.  If not, then you need to figure out how to connect with your existing leadership or move on.

Persistence over time can help you overcome resistance.  More importantly, though, you need to be able to see how your organization values a fresh perspective.  When you reach that point, you can figure out how and where to insert yourself to create maximum impact.