Competing small enterprises can win.

Competing to win against the big guys.

When competing with larger organisations, perceptions can influence your beliefs, your employees, and your customers. Speaking, carrying yourself, and presenting your physical appearance can give lasting impressions as an owner or manager. Have you ever considered how people perceive you and your business when competing? Try asking yourself and others just how you are different.

Recognise that a more substantial business is not necessarily your competition. If your competition is more significant, they will have a lot of advantages that you won’t have because of their size and experience in the marketplace.

Don’t try to compete on those levels. You have a lot of potential to be better and more influential in ways you can’t. You are likely much more agile and ready to change and adapt to trends and customer requests.

Your business can also connect better on a more personal level with customers, many of whom will seek a good relationship. Many nowadays want to help the smaller companies in their community. Use these differences to your advantage and compete as a different business.

You can give a better customer experience.

When competing, you have to offer superior customer service; smaller businesses are usually better placed to do this. This can be accomplished by hiring and training the right employees with the right personality styles to suit your target market and paying meticulous attention to detail in everything the business does. Making your product or service special, distinctive, or unique will be a huge differentiator.

Try partnering with a larger company or becoming a subcontractor. Identify what you can bring to the relationship that increases the success of both entities. Competition with a large company can also be the impetus for creating strategic alliances with other small businesses to expand the range of products and services you can offer and compete for business as a team.

If you want customers to take you seriously, you must treat them. You can improve people’s perception and make a big impression in the marketplace quicker and with more care. The significant competitive advantage of being small is being agile and adaptive to the market and customer demands. Look for ways to improve your agility; maintaining the status quo is rarely the answer.

Local businesses always have an unfair advantage when competing against larger national organisations. You are there, ‘Johnny on the spot,’ and you better understand the local community and can be more responsive to customer problems, frustrations, wants, and needs. One of your most significant competitive advantages is having flexibility, the flexibility to respond to customers appropriately.

Discover the many ways of competing fairly.

Quotable quotes.

“I just always expect the best because I’m a competitor and if I’m competing, then obviously I’m trying to be better in everything”. Lil Wayne

“I think it doesn’t matter if you are the best surfer in the world. I’m going to try to be the best surfer I can be. It’s not all about competing and being the best. It’s more about having fun and just doing what you love”. Bethany Hamilton