How unique is your business? Does it represent who you are, you values, and the values of your team?
Every business must have something which makes it stand out and create a certain feeling within your customers which always links them back to your business.
One can say, ‘but what if I just sell X like everyone else’? Even ordinary business can have one little feature which makes it different. It is not necessary to set up a shop upside down to make your customers remember the experience. They will in this case, but how convenient is it for them?
I vividly remember a bus driver from when I used to go to work every day. She was warm and kind, greeting people with lollies and a big smile every day. I can still picture her face in my memory. Many people would go out of their way to catch her bus, even when the timing was less convenient for them – because the beginning of their day was always brighter when catching her bus.
Everyone can stand out from the crowd and make customers feel better.
You can learn from the best, adopt best practices and invest in your knowledge, but you cannot copy some else’s business. Every company has a unique code like a human’s DNA which cannot be replicated.
When someone tries to copy another business, they invest more time and energy into that business than their own. Why would you divert your focus away from your business?
You can be alike, but you cannot become them.
Find your unique thing; do not be afraid to be different. Spencer Johnson in his book ‘Who moved my Cheese’ gave a piece of awesome advice: when you are afraid to do something and do not know where to start, answer just one question ‘What would I do if I was not afraid?’