Small Biz Survival

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Stand Out in a Crowd

By

Smiley face

Smile – Photo (CC) by seanbjack via Flickr

Have you ever just felt that your business and what you do is nothing special?

No matter what you sell or where you are located or even where you market, your business faces lots of competition. And as you dig deeper into who your competition is and what they are doing, your feel nothing distinguishes your business.

You are a commodity.

You would love to stand out, but to do so seems to be costly, time-consuming, and would require a make-over of your entire business.

Yet the reality is something much different.

To distinguish yourself from the field, you need to do one, yes, only ONE, thing no one else is doing.

Send thank you or birthday cards. Focus on a narrow niche. Create a cause marketing effort. Smile when people enter and say thanks when they leave. Focus on solving your customer’s problem.

It only takes one thing to make you memorable. And that thing does not have to cost a lot, take much time, or require a total change.

So what’s your opportunity to be a standout?

About Glenn Muske

Glenn Muske is an independent expert on rural small business, working as GM Consulting – Your partner in achieving small business success. He provides consulting, and writes articles for county extension agents and newspapers across North Dakota. Previously, he was the Rural and Agribusiness Enterprise Development Specialist at the North Dakota State University Extension Service – Center for Community Vitality.

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