By Tim Dimoff

Small businesses, competing in a market dominated by large corporations, come with many challenges that can feel daunting and scary. However, it is possible to successfully compete in the marketplace if you are smart and use your strategies to your advantage. It is important in this instance to be very pro-active as you are competing with larger name recognition, branding, larger staffing and, of course, larger budgets. Some of the ways in which to do this are to play to your strengths as a small business. Here are some suggestions that may help you:

• Hire smarter. A good, strong workforce is an essential element to your success. If possible, offer some flexibility to your staff. Work-life balance is important to today’s workforce. Consider offering remote work opportunities as well. If you have high employee turnover, you should re-evaluate your company’s culture and/or compensation package.
• Be a fun and easy place to work. If it fits your business model, consider a casual dress code. Employees who are comfortable tend to work harder and longer. Offer fun things such as free lunches once a month or even a company outing once in a while.
• Develop a marketing strategy and use it. This includes knowing your demographic and marketing specifically to them. Forget general ads; it is smarter to segment your marketing to your customer.
• Emphasize excellent customer service. As a small business, you can tailor your customer service to your clients in a way that large businesses can’t. Personalizing services goes a long way toward building repeat business, as well as gaining a good reputation.
• Welcome customer feedback. As a small business you can act on customer feedback, which in turn makes them feel heard and valued in a way that larger companies cannot.
• Be an active part of the community in ways that get you noticed. Participate in events or join associations. If you can afford it, sponsor local sports teams. Giving back thru volunteering is also a good business model.
• Have a good online presence. Social media is necessary today to build name and brand recognition. Be selective, but make sure you have some kind of online presence to connect with influencers.

You can compete with big companies in a successful way if you utilize some or all of the above strategies to create a strong connection with your clients.    

Timothy A. Dimoff, CPP, president of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc., is a speaker, trainer and author and a leading authority in high-risk workplace and human resource security and crime issues. He is a Certified Protection Professional; a certified legal expert in corporate security procedures and training; a member of the Ohio and International Narcotic Associations; the Ohio and National Societies for Human Resource Managers; and the American Society for Industrial Security. He holds a B.S. in Sociology, with an emphasis in criminology, from Dennison University. Contact him at info@sacsconsulting.com.