How Does A Business Owner Create A Competitive Advantage?

Imagine ten businesses, all providing the same services or products, all selling to the same customers, all drawing from the same labor pool, located on the same street within a half mile stretch.  Experience shows that these ten companies will exhibit a wide spectrum of success.

On one end of the spectrum, you’ll find a business which is booming, whose showroom/office/store front is picture perfect, who enjoys the highest level of customer satisfaction, whose profits are greatest, and whose employees are happiest.  The community looks to them with civic pride.

On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find a company that is struggling to keep its doors open, whose shop is cluttered with disorganized parts and merchandise, whose customers have no loyalty to them, whose employees are constantly quitting, and whose profits are neither real, nor possible.

The other eight companies are scattered within this spectrum.  All ten business owners have approximately the same product knowledge and the same level of technical skill.  Why then, is there a difference?

The simple answer is management.

The more complete and honest answer would be management possessing a more in-depth understanding of and the ability to execute a wide range of management skills, using appropriate tools to facilitate and ensure meeting the business owner’s goals, i.e., through proven systems, procedures, controls, designed around established policy.  This is what a business consulting engagement can bring to a business.  Where does your company fall within your competitive spectrum and, more importantly, where do you want it to be?