How Small-Town Businesses Can Compete With The Big Guys

If you’re a retail store in small-town America, you’ve probably felt a lot of pressure from the big-box store down the street, and from Amazon.com and other e-commerce websites. How do you compete with these huge corporations?

• If your community has “shop local” programs, consider participating in those.
• Megastores have the advantage of volume, so don’t try to compete on price. Instead, add value in other areas — quality, for instance, or customer service.
• Big stores have the disadvantage of needing to stock a little of everything, but specializing in nothing. As a boutique shop, you can cater to a niche. This brings fewer buyers, but more of them are qualified (ready to buy).
• Expand your reach with a website. A website presence instantly gives you a global audience. Nowadays, many consumers start the buying process with a web search. You can always start simple, then expand into e-commerce as your grow. Modern e-commerce software also comes with features like user reviews and personalized recommendations.
• Looking to cut down costs? There are plenty of services, technology devices, and software that promise to automate operations or make business tasks easier.

What are some techniques you use to stay competitive? How do you position yourself in your market? I’d love to hear your ideas.