How do you make your business STAND OUT? IT'S SO CROWDED OUT THERE.

 

How do you set your business apart when there are so many others doing the same thing?

CAPTURE YOUR AUDIENCE'S ATTENTION

I pick up the Kia Ora magazine. It’s another day and another plane trip to the capital. Electronic devices have to be turned off so I'm forced to read. I don't have anything with me so I reach for the airline’s magazine. It flips to the story of Nice Blocks detailing two blokes endeavouring to enter a crowded market with a healthier choice of ice blocks and ice cream.

A couple of years back two mates started on a mission to create a better summer treat for their children. Today the natural and organic treats (that also hold the title of the first certified Fair Trade ice block range in the world) can be found in stores throughout New Zealand.

Lately I have also been a happy recipient of the My Food Bag goodies that are dropped at the gate every Sunday evening with instructions and contents for four of the week’s meals. I loving the massive tick that this has put into my week of tasks. And I am also assisting two start-ups determine their point of difference as they commence their entrepreneurial life. And daily I am forced to consider the main product drivers that we offer as we take to the social media platforms to entice more people to buy our frocks rather than those of my many competitors.

So what do we need to do to really make our business models fly from the start? How do we set ourselves apart in crowded markets?

GIVEN THAT THERE IS VERY LITTLE THAT IS NEW OUT THERE, SUCCESS IS OFTEN ABOUT RE-INVENTING TRADITIONAL BUSINESS MODELS

Take My Food Bag… success has been about taking away the pain, the weekly ‘what do we have for dinner’ question that we all dread and the nightly supermarket shop that many of us have fallen into.

So take one celebrity chef, the poster girl for healthy eating, Nadia Lim, one business guru, Ex Telecom CEO, Theresa Gattung and Cecilia Robinson, another smart entrepreneur who has concepted the idea and had the foresight to gather others around her and to all intents and purposes the business model is flying. Simple really. Identify the pain points for your target market and remove them by creating a robust business model. 

Let’s look at Nice Blocks… they are all about a healthier alternative to ice blocks (plenty of us that would and should make that choice if we could). They have jumped on the sugar band wagon and while they don't profess to have removed all sugar, they certainly are providing heather options and interesting flavours so now at least you have another choice. 

Then there are the skateboard ramps that my son has created as his first entrepreneurial venture. Our defining feature is the art work that we have placed on the side of the ramps as yes, there are others in the market that have constructed the same ramps and offer them for sale on Trade Me (the platform we have chosen) at similar prices. So will the original art work affected by our awarded graffiti artist be enough to drive the business model?

What about the doggie day care business that I am passionate about supporting (after all I love dogs) and really do see a need for great dog care in every town that even borders on extreme, in regards to the offerings for those that can afford it and let’s face it, there are plenty of us out there that will indulge if given the right platform.

SO WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO SET THIS SERVICE APART FROM SOME OF THE OTHERS? 

As we do know that it’s not a new idea. For this we have looked at experiences… what can we do with the dogs in the time that they are in our care that makes sure that we are the day care of choice? And let’s not forget also that this choice will also be about the operator.

Yes, the marketplace can be overcrowded but if you have a great product and promote it well the people will come... in order to be irreplaceable one must always be different - Coco Chanel.