Last Updated on April 19, 2019 by Jessica Adams
When you run a small business, you might think that you’ll have to compete with the big fish and that it’s hard to stand out. In reality, however, people like supporting small business owners, and they do appreciate the personal touch that you offer. Instead of seeing being small as a disadvantage, you can turn it into an advantage by creating a unique selling proposition based on your size and its benefits. Below you will find a few tips on the benefits of being a small business.
How to Convey the Benefits of
Being a Small Business
Be Flexible
Flexibility is one of the main advantages of being a small business. If your biggest customer has a rush order, you can divide your resources to accommodate them faster. However, a large multinational company will be more focused on the profits and the rest of their client base. They will not give your clients the priority or go the extra mile. You will have fewer resources, but a better allocation system, so you can accommodate your customers’ needs; big and small.
Show Appreciation
Small business owners appreciate customers much more and pay a lot of attention to their needs. You know that you simply don’t have the budget to fund large marketing campaigns to get more customers, so you’ll focus on keeping the ones you have, happy. You will be more likely to remember their birthdays, special events, and to send out cards and emails to stay in touch. A large company is more focused on conversions and doesn’t have time to express their appreciation to their clients. Take advantage of your smaller client list and truly show your appreciation for the fact that they chose YOU over the “big boys”.
Be Productive
As a business owner, you’re likely more focused on productivity and making sure that you are earning enough money during the hours you put in. This means that you’ll be thinking about different methods of how to improve your services, meet clients’ needs, and become more effective in what you do. Regardless if you’re a freelancer or online marketing coach, you’ll be able to do things more efficiently and faster, as you don’t have to run different decisions through various departments.
Keep Everything Under One Roof
By keeping all aspects of your small business in-house, you can control the narrative for your clients by being their one point of contact. This will certainly benefit them if you’re running a specialized business with lots of moving parts. You will know which questions to ask before you get started, and when mistakes are made, you know exactly who to go to. At the same time, you can take steps to correct those mistakes right away. You will have the control over every process in your company, so it will be possible to spot potential problems as soon as they arise. Whether it’s arranging a delivery or dealing with complaints, you’ll be more effective than a larger team of people who don’t care as much about your business as you do.
Harness Communication
Once you have figured out how to create an effective sales funnel that will turn leads into clients. You should take every opportunity to make sure that they’re happy and feel appreciated. Go that extra mile, meet customers closer to their job site, and add extra services. You’re likely to be more patient as a small business owner and can take time to explain how certain processes work. You can also point out how they can make the most out of your services and products. Small businesses tend to pay more attention to customer communication and personalization.
Create Cost-Effective Solutions
Since you will have less overhead costs, you’ll be able to offer more flexible pricing options for your customers. As you’ll want to keep them happy, you might introduce initial discounts, so you can compete with other small businesses. You will control your costs as much as you can, to keep your expenses down. You might get small fleet fueling cards to cut your delivery costs or simply offer free shipping. However, if you add more value than larger businesses, you can even charge more than them and be able to justify the benefits. Whether it’s a physical product, personal coaching or even free resources, you can still create cost-effective solutions and stay competitive.
Give It That Personal Touch
Since you’re more likely to know each customer in person, you can understand what they are looking to do with your products or services. This will give you a competitive advantage over larger companies. You can offer personalized solutions and packages that will suit your clients’ needs better than larger brands. It’s important that you personalize your emails and phone calls, sound more personal and less corporate, if you want your small business to stand out.
Provide More Value
Of course, you will also be able to add more value through personal contact and your own expertise. It’s important to compare your offers with that of larger businesses and be able to show the benefits of working with you. Once you have found out how you can add value, you can create a unique selling proposition based on your status as a small business. Think about customer service, empathy, caring for each need, and being flexible.
Focus On the Needs of Your Niche
One of the benefits of being small is that you will be able to focus on one niche group. By listening to what your current market and existing customers are telling you, it’s easier to position yourself in the marketplace. Instead of trying to impress everyone, you can pick a sub-niche that’s being underserved and currently unhappy with what’s being offered by your competition. Create and implement customer surveys and questionnaires, and you can become an expert in a specialized field.
There are several advantages to running your own business. If you strive to turn your limitations into competitive advantages, think about ways to add value and improve customer service. Stand out by creating a strong unique selling proposition and communicating it to your customers.
Jessica Rose Adams
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