Posts Tagged ‘Competitors’
Are You Really Different?
We know the importance of differentiating ourselves in attempting to win business. We try to do this at our web sites, often posting comparisons and charts showing how we have more features and functions than the alternatives. Too often, we think differentiation is about checking more feature boxes, having a richer product, than the competition.…
Read MoreThe 3 Strategy Questions Leaders Need to Ask Right Now
Do you smell that? That, my friend, is the smell of freshly baked, ready-to-serve strategy. This familiar aroma is wafting through the halls of many companies this time of year as diligent executives return from retreats in fancy places to reveal the results of the heavy lifting called strategic planning. These sessions are as exhausting…
Read MoreHow Can You Effectively Market Your Business When You’re in a Competitive Niche?
Knowing how to market your business effectively takes hard work, knowledge and dedication. And even with all of that, there’s no guarantee your efforts will be a success. But how much more difficult is this when you’re in a competitive niche? Without a huge budget or the right contacts, it’s difficult to make waves. One…
Read MoreHow to Battle the Dragon AND Avoid the Encounter
Sometimes a competitor is just too entrenched, too strong, too well equipped to directly face in battle. At least that is the conventional wisdom. Yet, there are constant examples of new entrants into a niche that grow, prosper and sometimes even become dominant. So when do we know which course to take? Quietly abandon a…
Read MoreMarketing Mistakes That Will Crush Your Growing Startup
Growing a successful business is incredibly difficult. Less than one in five businesses survive after the first few years. A number of factors can contribute to failure, but marketing mistakes are the most common. Too many promising entrepreneurs have shot themselves in the foot by failing to have a good marketing strategy in place. Avoid…
Read MoreThe Limits of Your Knowledge
I don’t know everything. That might sound like an obvious statement, and I would hope that every other person would be willing to admit as much, too. But even after acknowledging the limits of your knowledge, what are you doing about it? Because I don’t know everything, I make it a priority to keep on…
Read MoreAdvertise Where It Matters
There are more media options available for advertising today than there have ever been before. From social media to billboards, old school television to internet streaming, and old fashioned radio to internet radio, the decision on where to advertise is harder than it has ever been. Finding the most effective and cost efficient platform for…
Read MoreHow Small Business Can Beat the Global Megacorporations
Looking for a good small business idea that could turn into a big business idea? If you are, I think we’re living in extremely exciting times and I say this because it’s clear to me that businesses we used to think were established and virtually untouchable are now vulnerable to startup competition. Some of these…
Read MoreHow Brand Leaders Can Be Brand Losers
Conventional business wisdom touts that you have to be the biggest, the strongest, the richest and the best. All worthy goals that build a dynamic economy. Capturing the mind of your customers is the basis for brand building. Once they have taken you to their bosom, your brand blossoms and grows. To capture that embrace…
Read MoreMarketing Idea: What Does Your Customer Experience?
The concept of creating a memorable customer experience is nothing new. Companies like Disney, Zappos and Ritz Carlton have become famous for how their customers rave about doing business with them. Who doesn’t know the famous Ritz Carlton line “we are ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen?” So the concept has been around for a while, but I predict it will…
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