Here are a few tips for a small business to understand how to get the upper hand against their competition.
Step 1: Take a look at your marketplace, and be willing to outwork the competition. Sometimes it's not about the dollar amount that you're spending on marketing or operating your company. Research any weaknesses in those larger companies, and make sure those are your strengths.
Step 2: Activate a plan to explain how your particular small business is different from the competition. Emphasize a high level of service. Give customers and clients that one-on-one experience that will make them feel important. Word of mouth can be a lifesaver or yank a company into the deep end without swimming lessons.
Step 3: Be a solution provider. A company that resolves a problem will always be relevant. Maybe your business fixes technology equipment. Or, you're a catering company that specializes in a menu for people with a very specific diet. Or, you're a law firm that goes out of your way to help clients understand contract details or negotiations. No matter what your company specializes in, do not let your client get off of a phone call or leave your office with the same amount of questions and confusion that the client had before contacting you.
There's a reason that customer service companies have started utilizing survey results to monitor employees. They want to know if the situation has been resolved. If it hasn't, then your representatives aren't effectively working in the marketplace.