I know how frustrating it can get when you are trying to build a brand for yourself only to have all the efforts washed down the drain by the big established companies. The efforts you make with your limited budget, limited knowledge limited time and most definitely very few tricks on your sleeve to even stand a chance do not mean anything to big boys. After all, they have all money, the resources, and the manpower to do anything they want. You might feel like you do not stand a chance because the playground is not leveled. The big brands can flex their muscles, and your small business will be sent to oblivion. However, all is not lost; you can still go head to head with the big companies and stand a chance of survival. Here is how.
Level the Playing Field
One thing you should realize about search engines is they do not discriminate. It does not matter who is providing what service, if you have a website with the correct SEO content, then search engines will provide consumers with the most relevant search results. If you can optimize your website to rank on the first page of search engines then you will have leads and in turn sales. The same is the case for social media sites. If you can master the tricks of using social media, then you can reach to your potential market demographic segment with no difficulty at all. The consumers for the big titans such as Amazon or Wal-Mart are the same who will visit your website or social media sites.
Do Customization
Offer something the big brands are not offering. Since your business is relatively small, it is possible to know your customers at a personal level. If you are in manufacturing, you can custom manufacture products for them. You can also deliver personal requests to them say in terms of gifts or something like that. Consumers love a business that resonates with them. Meet them at a personal level and offer customized requests. The big brands will offer mass-produced goods hence consumers cannot get products that are tailor-made to their needs; be the alternative.
Be Good at Customer Service
Big companies often have a cut and dry kind of relationship with the customers. In fact, for the big company to remember the name of the client it must have been through a sale gone-wrong situation. Create a friendly and likable personality. Let the customers come to you because you are smooth, fun and pleasant to deal with. Customers like to feel appreciated and connected to; let their consumer experience spread the word about your businesses. Within a few years of this constant practice, you will have created a brand based on differentiation.
Sell in a Niche and Expand Later
Most small business owners fail to think that they can take on a giant in the same field. The truth is they have the resources, and you do not. So, establish a little niche that you can do well, excel in it and when you have made headway in it you can expand to wider niches. You stand better chances of winning in a niche when you are starting out than you would in a general niche.
Take Advantage of Your Agility
While your business is small, you can offer faster services, think fast and move fast. Your growing client base will enjoy your fast deliveries, fast responses to queries. Make use of this situation before you start to expand and the processes start to get more complicated. Big companies do not have the luxury to be agile because of complex processes, bureaucracies and wider client base to deal with. In simpler terms, be what the big companies are not. Track their moves but do not obsess over them.
Conclusion
As a small business competing in a market flooded with the giant companies, you need to shift your mindset. Stop regarding yourself as a victim and start using your leanness to your advantage. Make small strides, and you will win the battle eventually. Be patient with yourself and your business, establish processes and eliminate redundancies. Use the tools at your disposal to start winning rather than to whining.