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How to Make Your Small Business Ideas Stand Out From the Competition

Business is very competitive these days. You really need to be unique and offer something special. This is the only way to make your small business ideas stand out from the competition. But how to do that?

Standing out from the competition is no longer about having a superior product, it helps, but it is not enough.

Differentiation is no longer about your experience or your track record or how much money you’ve made in the past or whether you have a university degree, Masters or PhD.

No differentiation is so much more. Competition is fierce.

And customers are more sophisticated.

So, standing out from your competitors is more challenging than ever. You have to consider as many ways as possible.

Here are 5 ways to stand out from the competition.

#1 - Don’t Try To Copy Your Competitors

small business ideas - competition

Yes, they may be successful at what they do and you may learn a few things from them.

But the key is to speak with your own voice. Take your own unique slant or approach.

Find ways to be different from them, even if it means taking something they do well, putting your own flair to it, and doing it better/differently.

 

How to be unique:

One thing that no one can imitate is YOU. They can’t imitate your passion, your energy, your creativity or your personality. 

One thing no one can imitate is YOU.

Kevon Wilson Tweet

Find what is unique and special about yourself and infuse that into what you do.

Are you funny? Then infuse humor into your work.

Bring your passion and personality into what you do.

I am a very analytical person. I think in linear, graphical ways. So, I bring that to my work. I love explaining things using diagrams, charts, and images. That’s how my brain works and so I’m bringing that to what I do.


Richard Branson - Net worth, $4.7 Billion (2021)

Famous billionaire entrepreneur, Richard Branson is known in the business world for his quirky, weird personality. But guess what? Richard used his weirdness to his advantage. He infused weirdness into a number of his marketing campaigns to attract attention.

For example:

  • He put on a wedding dress to promote his new retail store.
  • He dressed up as a flight attendant on a competing airline’s flight.
  • He wore a space suit to a press conference to promote his new Virgin Galactica business.

#2 - Create an Innovative Product


One of the earlier models of the Ford Automobile

The best way to stand out from the competition is to invent a completely new product. New inventions are always challenging though, but that’s a topic for another article.

When everyone was selling thorough-bred horses and carts, Henry Ford launched the automobile; a completely new and revolutionary product.

Ford was able to corner the transportation market for many years. Until others started producing cars as well.

But the key to Ford’s success wasn’t merely the fact that he invented a product – new means of transport.

What made him truly stand out was his true understanding of the market and being able to distinguish what they wanted from what they needed – they wanted faster horses, but what they really needed was faster transportation.

Which brings us to…

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#3 - Think Like Your Market

Put yourself in your market’s shoes. What are they looking for? 

Your ultimate job is to please your audience. Make them smile. Or give them incredible value that makes them feel fulfilled and satisfied after interacting with your product, with your content, and with you.

How to think like your market?

Ask them what they want. 

You should be asking your customers how you could serve them better. Start with their pain points on a particular subject. 

How can you help them? How can you add value to satisfy them? 

Ask them how your product could improve. 

And even if you don’t ask, see what they are saying on your website, social media or elsewhere. 

If they are happy, they will say so. If they are dissatisfied, they will tell you and the whole world. This is a good thing. It gives you invaluable data to improve.

When thinking about which business to start, I first did a deep dive survey. 

I contacted people on different forums related to my niche and asked them to tell me about their main pain points. 

The information I received helped me to come up with a business idea which was invaluable information. 

And the beautiful part is that I did not pay a dime for that information. 

The survey also helped me to structure my business around 4 key segments related to my niche. These might have been segments I would have neglected and left money on the table.

This is one of the strategies we explore in the Market Activation Framework.

#4 - Create a Unique Element

If you cannot create a completely new invention then you can create a unique element to an already existing product.

Let’s look at toothpaste as an example. Toothpaste was around for a very long time, then Crest added fluoride to its toothpaste and had it clinically tested, creating a new product because of a newly added element.

So Crest was able to stand apart from its competition.

Of course, soon everyone on the market started adding fluoride to their toothpaste. And now fluoride is commonplace in the industry.

To stand out toothpaste companies started adding different elements – tooth whitening solutions, chemicals fighting bad breath, chemicals to strengthen gums, and so on.

These are examples of adding unique elements to make an existing commodity in a highly-competitive market stand out from the rest.

#5 - Find an Unspoken Element

If you cannot create a unique product or add a new element, you might be able to focus on an existing element that everyone has, but no one speaks about.

For example, for many years margarine producers were selling margarine alongside butter. However, as the market became more sophisticated and people became more health-conscious, some margarine brands started promoting “no cholesterol” and “no trans fat” to stand out from the crowd.

The fact is, margarine NEVER had cholesterol. But no one ever spoke about that. It was an unspoken element. So when one margarine producer started marketing “no cholesterol” their brand automatically became unique, because no one else was promoting that element. Since then, virtually all margarine brands have the “no cholesterol” and “no trans fat” claims. But it all started with one brand.

margarine and no cholesterol, make your offer appear unique by focusing on an unspoken element.

Two of the Best Competitive Strategies, Ever!

Market Activation Framework

There are many other strategies one can use to create a unique presence in the market and stand out from the competition.

The Market Activation Framework digs deeper into the 5 presented here in this article, plus more strategies.

The top 2 strategies identified in the masterclass are what the most successful companies and brands are doing today.

Because let’s face it, it’s getting tougher and tougher to stand apart from the competition. And these two strategies – the Big Transformation and the Superhero Solution, are killing it right now.

The Market Activation Framework also shows you the evolution of competitive strategies and identifies what you need to do in 2021 to really stand out. Only a few people are doing this right now.

Click here to learn more about competitive strategies in the Market Activation Framework training.

Discover How to Find Profitable Niches and Winning Business Ideas
And Stand Out From the Competition

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