Small businesses are like invention ideas.
Everybody seems to have one but most aren't very good nor come to fruition.
Like an effective innovation, your small business must address some need that is currently unaddressed.
In other words, the products and services you sell must not only be of good quality, but they must also provide a viable solution to a "problem" your customers have today.
This is a very important point since many, many businesses I have come across in my many years of small business services have developed some really neat and exciting products and services that don't sell.
The reason no one buys them is because they have no need for them.
You wouldn't go out and buy a bronzed pinecone just because someone is selling it to you.
You have no need (or in this case, even desire) for it.
It isn't practical to the needs of the public.
Your small business falls very much under the same rules.
To be effectively positioned for small business success, you need to sell something that is sought after.
Among the many reasons someone might choose to purchase your goods and services are the following core criteria: A.
Must be needed, desired or sought after - this enables you to market your offerings against those factors B.
Must have differentiating qualities - so you stand above the rest in comparison C.
Must be perceived as worth the price - or people won't pay for it (even if it means living without it) D.
Must be of good quality - or it will be returned and cause bad will and/or publicity E.
Must be coupled with good service/support - or you will have no repeat customers Another very critical component for the small business owner, in terms of achieving small business success is the notion of perception.
While I'm not advocating that you discredit "A, B, C and D" above, it is true that you can dramatically improve your competitive positioning in your market if you are "perceived" very positively.
In some cases, positive perception can even make up for some shortcomings of your products and services.
For example, if you sell law services but have little experience doing so, you might be able to create a perception of stability, confidence and experience with an impressive, traditional looking website and marketing collateral.
If you sell flowers but have a higher price point than your competitor, you can create the perception that your flowers smell better by stapling the top of the plastic wrap they are rolled in to "keep the smell in".
You see, you can create the perception that your offerings are better than your competition's simply by creating the notion that they are.