There are a great many advantages that those large companies have over us small ones—they have more employees, more capital, more marketing—but we really do have some advantages too. As a small, home-based business, we have the flexibility to really know our customers and clients and tailor our service delivery to meet their needs. We can meet them in a more intimate place and really find a way to deliver top-notch service that is quite specific.
Sometimes it does not even pay to try to play the “big boy’s” game. Instead, we can focus in on what we do well and find a way to be lenient, flexible and completely individual in how we work with our customer’s and clients. This is most likely something that a big company or a bureaucratic one cannot do. Taking the time to get to know our clients/customers, as well as asking them what could make things better, easier, and more efficient for them can give us the information we need to tailor our services to fit.
Of course, we still have to keep an eye on our bottom line. But, if we are delivering more exclusive and specialized services, we might also be able to charge a little more. People will often pay more for specifically-tailored service delivery that really meets their needs. This could mean working at convenient hours, delivering products or services, meeting on the spur of the moment or with short notice (this is something that many larger companies really can’t handle well)—anything we can do to make our service delivery personal and specific can give us a leg up on the competition and make our small, home-based businesses more competitive.
So, instead of thinking of all the ways you can’t compete with the larger, more established businesses in your market—focus in on making the customer or client happy and you may find your own success grows. Play your OWN game!
See Also: Too Much Flexibility Could Keep the Customers Away
Could You Use a Business Coach?