As a business owner, it can be frustrating when you hear about that one business that got the great account, was the first to offer a product that became very popular or because of their great service, is talked about a lot and therefore attracts new customers.
Did they do something that you didn’t? Does their business offer something that yours doesn’t? Most likely, it isn’t that they did something completely different or had something that your business didn’t have. These are business owners who were wise enough to advantage of an opportunity or created one for themselves. They had been in business a long time but didn’t give in to the belief that it was too late for them. They didn’t feel that their business was what it was and things weren’t going to change.
Opportunities for your business are everywhere, you just have to be aware of what is going on around you. You also have to realize that your business, regardless of what it is, has an impact on your customers. Just because the ideas you have are small and your business is small doesn’t mean it isn’t important to others as well as yourself. Understand the significance your business has, look at how other business owners are taking advantage of opportunities and turn these same opportunities into growth for your business, not by copying, but by borrowing the ideas and turning them into something that is a great fit for you and your products.
Competition is good for your business. It makes you stop and think of how you can improve what you offer so that what you have is better than what is out there. It gives you a push to want to succeed more by improving your business. It makes you stop and think of how your business is going to grow with the trends so it will still be viable in the future. Decide that you will no longer ignore what is right under your business nose, grasp what is available and if you need to learn new skills to do that, then learn them.
It’s never too late to make great things happen. Just think, Harlan Sanders, the Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, was 66 when he began to promote his style of cooking and created an empire. There’s still room for more great ideas. One of them could be yours.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015
image courtesy of jonrognerud
