When I was young, and first starting out in business, I worked with my father in a variety of small businesses. It was almost an apprenticeship-like arrangement, because although I was young and had my own responsibilities within the business, my relationship with my father made me privy to issues that I would have normally encountered in a part time job. This business education was instrumental in my later becoming an entrepreneur.
One of the greatest lessons he instilled in me was the advantages size gave to a small business. When we were in the staffing industry and our little four location startup was competing with industry giants, my father liked to use the analogy of the battleship vs. the row boat. Though we were small, our business could stop, and change course or strategy faster than our hulking battleship-like competitors could convene a meeting. This left us able to quickly find gaps in their service and focus all of our attention to exploit that niche.
Today, a decade and a half later, it’s even easier for small businesses to compete against industry giants. Today, I’m going to posting on the strategies that nimble businesses can employ to compete.
Technorati: OPEN Adventures
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