LEVERAGING THE SMALL & NIMBLE

This week I listened to a training call Michael Angier did
for TIPS subscribers several years ago. What stood out for
me was his reminder that small businesses often fail to
leverage their advantages over larger competitors.
As an entrepreneur or small business, you can respond
instantly to new opportunities. In a small company, with
the right attitude, you can often seize a new opportunity
in as little as 15 minutes, while your large competitor
might take months to form a committee!
One of the reasons I enjoy coaching and training with small
and medium-size companies is their speed of execution.
Often, I've met with an owner in the morning and seen new
ideas being applied before the close of business that same
day! Or, I've done a training on a Friday morning and come
back a week or a month later to see dramatic changes. I
love that!
Small companies can form alliances with their customers and
suppliers that are simply impossible for larger companies.
You KNOW your customers! Ask them what they want. Ask them
to help you serve them better. What customer would refuse
to help you develop a better product at a lower price? Use
your alliances!
Finally, small companies benefit from small changes in ways
that large companies simply cannot. For a small business, a
new product or customer that brings a $100,000 in new sales
is a big deal! You can get interested in that! You can
afford to respond and profit from that. In contrast, an
Amazon or an Apple literally can't afford to care or even
notice a $100,000 deal.
Successful businesses leverage their strengths. They use
technology, mobility and creativity in ways that large
bureaucracies simply cannot match.