The keyword this holiday retail season? Competitive. According to TELUS research*, small business owners have seen an increase in competitors as a result of the economic downturn and being able to differentiate your small business from the competition is more important than ever.
The following tips for differentiating yourself and your business were suggested by small business participants in the focus group events Telus hosted.
Tips for Standing Out From the Competition
- Place products that are unique to your market at the forefront of your marketing;
- Embrace social responsibility (free services for charities; use of space by charities);
- Realize that the product is "you" not necessarily what you do;
- Try different approaches in marketing and measure success - ideas include changing the offer, using the right headlines, asking for the sale;
- Don't be afraid to let clients know that you have gone the extra mile for them;
- Understand the customer's business and apply solutions that actually help them.
I'll add that providing good customer service is another way your small business can stand out from the competition - especially customer service that directly targets a competitor's weakness. 4 Ways To Provide Customer Service That Outshines Your Competitors explains.
Of course, before you can successfully compete, you need to know what the competition is doing. Learn how with 6 Ways to Find Out What Your Competition Is Up To.
* Over the last seven months TELUS conducted a series of focus group events to help facilitate peer-to-peer discussion among 41 small businesses in Canada. These included an online focus group event as well as a pair of focus group events in Toronto and one-on-one conversations with small businesses in Western Canada.
Most Popular Articles | Newsletter | SB Canada Forum | RSS Feeds | Follow Me on Twitter