Читать книгу Small Business for Dummies - Veechi Curtis - Страница 48

Here are five reasons I recommend you spend time analysing your competitors:

 You can get fresh inspiration: Your competition can be a source of inspiration, showing you where to gain a possible edge. Pricing specials, weekend packages, discount offers, creative advertising and clever sales techniques are just some of the things you may decide to copy. After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery (although your competitors may not see it that way!).

 You can avoid terrible mistakes: Competitor analysis may provide the reality check that prevents you from taking unnecessary risks and losing your savings. For example, in my local town a whole strip of cafes come and go with every change in season. If I were thinking about starting a cafe, a competitor analysis may quickly reveal that the rents in this strip are hideously high, the landlords are difficult, and nobody is making enough profits to survive, let alone thrive.

 You can capitalise on others’ weaknesses: Interacting with competitors can also point to potential opportunities. For many people, the seed of a winning business idea is sown by not being able to receive good enough service or quite the right product. So they think, I can do better than that, and a new business idea or marketing strategy is born.

 You can set your prices just right: If you’re going to compete head-on with another business, you want to be right across the services that business provides, and the prices it charges. Unless a massive undersupply exists, charging $20 more per hour is probably pointless if you’re providing an identical service to a close competitor.

 You can identify your point of difference: Unless you know exactly what your competitors provide, you won’t know how to sell your differences.