Periodically we talk about competition in the business world here in the Home Business blog and I know that some of us are “into” understanding how to be more competitive and some of us take a different approach to business operations. I also know that using a word like “advantage” can be challenging—some of us just don’t want to think of ourselves as “cut-throat” business people. Still, if we want our businesses to succeed, we do need to find ways to increase our advantage—make ourselves more likely to be chosen by customers, clients and prospects.
Gaining an advantage does not mean that you have to squash and decimate the competition or other businesses in your field. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to really think about what other people are doing if you don’t want to—you can create an advantage for your business just by focusing on doing what you do extremely well and making it tailored to what your customers and/or clients truly need.
Better service delivery, more user-friendly hours, custom-made products or services—all of these are ways you can create an advantage. Some people are able to create an advantage for their businesses just by gaining a very good understanding of their customer base—who they are, what they need, and how to make their services and/or products that really fit their lifestyles. People who work with more “exclusive” markets or really target their services to a select few can use this approach. By getting close and becoming more connected to their clients and customers, they can gain an advantage.
Look at your business operations and see if you can figure out what you do well, what you CAN do well, and what are some of the ways that you can push your business operations in order to create an advantage that will set you apart from the competition or the others in your field.
Also: I Need a Little Competition to Keep Me Going
Can You Cope With Competition?