Standing Out from the Crowd:

How to Research Your Competitors and Differentiate Your Small Business

Photo by Tim Mossholder

As a small business owner, it's essential to research your competitors and identify ways to differentiate your business. By understanding your competitors' strengths and weaknesses, you can position your business to stand out from the crowd. Here are a few tips to help you research your competitors and differentiate your small business:

• Identify your competitors: The first step in researching your competitors is to identify them. Who are your direct competitors? Who are your indirect competitors? Direct competitors are businesses that offer the same products or services as your business. In a rural area, you may have an advantage if your competition is not willing to drive to jobs. Indirect competitors are businesses that offer similar products or services but may not be in direct competition with your business. What can you do better? what can you offer that is more than what they offer?

• Research your competitors' strengths and weaknesses: Once you've identified your competitors, it's time to research their strengths and weaknesses. What do they do well? What do they struggle with? How do they market themselves? By understanding your competitors' strengths and weaknesses, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your business. Do they get most work from word of mouth or a website? Where have your customers found you? Will they refer you to their friends?

• Analyze your competitors' marketing strategies: Another critical aspect of researching your competitors is analyzing their marketing strategies. How do they promote their products or services? What channels do they use? What messaging do they use? By analyzing your competitors' marketing strategies, you can identify gaps and opportunities to differentiate your business. Do you need business cards and have a place to pass them out? Would a website be better? Do you customers need your service once a month or once a year?

• Look for gaps in the market: While researching your competitors, keep an eye out for gaps in the market. Are there any products or services that your competitors don't offer? Is there a market segment that is underserved? By identifying gaps in the market, you can differentiate your business by offering something unique. Do you specialize in your service or can you do a variety of things?

• Develop a unique value proposition: Finally, use the insights gained from researching your competitors to develop a unique value proposition. A value proposition is a statement that summarizes why customers should choose your business over your competitors. By developing a compelling value proposition, you can differentiate your business and attract customers. This can be something that you put on marketing documents or a short pitch that you hone for when you are talking to a new or potential customer.

Researching your competitors is essential to differentiate your small business. By identifying your competitors, researching their strengths and weaknesses, analyzing their marketing strategies, looking for gaps in the market, and developing a unique value proposition, you can position your business to stand out from the crowd. Take the time to research your competitors and use the insights gained to differentiate your business and attract more customers.