If you study marketing at all, it doesn’t take long to discover you need a
way to differentiate yourself from the competition. In marketing speak this
is called your USP or Unique Selling Proposition. It’s the one or more
things about your business, services, products or the results you provide
that is different, or better, than what the other guy is offering.

Having a compelling USP is critical to your small business success. Because,
as I always like to say, if you don’t give people a good reason to do
business with you instead of your competition, they probably won’t.

The thing, most people really struggle when it comes to finding their
USP.And it shouldn’t be that hard. Because, unless you own a franchise and
rely on set systems and marketing, you should be able to find any number of
ways to differentiate your business.

Sometimes the difference is obvious.Perhaps you offer a product or services
no one else has. Or a package that is only available from you. Maybe you
donate part of your proceeds to charity. Hold cool events. Or use green
materials or processes in your manufacturing. It could even come down to
things like hours, availability, parking or special offers.

However, while any of those things have the makings of a terrific Unique
Selling Proposition, it’s only going to be effective and compelling if no
one else is already promoting the exact same thing.

This means you must do a competitive analysis before staking your claim on a
USP. Otherwise you have no idea if what you’re promoting is actually unique.
And I can tell you that 9 times out of 10, saying you have great customer
service isn’t enough.

If you can’t come up with anything you do or offer that is different from
the competition, don’t despair. You can create a killer USP out of thin air
simply by marketing with personality.

Think about it.Most small business marketing is boring, academic sounding
and very forgettable. It’s rare you run across something that truly grabs
your attention and sticks in your mind.

Luckily, you have an ace in the hole when it comes to creating your
USP.You’re a human being, and so by nature you’re a unique individual.
You’ve got your own style, vocabulary, sense of humor etc. All you have to
do is let that shine through and your business will automatically stand out
from the crowd.

So don’t be afraid to show your personality, be controversial, do something
crazy or silly, use slang, use cartoons, and have a little fun. While some
people may not like it, others will love it! Either way, it’s a heckuva lot
better than being forgettable or having people not even notice your business
or care.

What’s your USP?

How do you differentiate yourself from the competition?

What do you find has really resonated with your target market?

Please do share by leaving a comment below.

Struggling to find your USP? Discover a variety of helpful resources at
http://www.success-stream.com/ <http://www.success-stream.com/>

Change is in the air.There’s no doubt. From the failing economy, to the
wounded environment, to the hope for a better America-and a better
world-inspired by our new president things are definitely different than
they were a year ago. While on the one hand many of us are excited and
thrilled about potential changes for the better, on the other hand it’s easy
to be nervous or concerned about the effects these changes may have on your
business.

On top of that, many small business owners are so busy with the day to day
tasks of running their businesses they don’t even have time to THINK about
how to meet this changing future head on. Instead, they’re toiling along,
nose to the grindstone, hoping that the changes will either be for the
better or not have too much of a negative impact on them.

This is nuts!

The Internet has redefined the way you can market your business. People’s
spending habits are changing. The costs of manufacturing and shipping goods
are overall on the rise, and will probably continue to increase along with
the cost of a barrel of oil (and just think what a carbon-tax would do!).
And the younger generation is, thankfully, making all things "green" a
priority.

If you want your business to survive-and even thrive-in the new world
economy that’s on the horizon chances are good your business must evolve to
meet these changing needs and demands.Whether that means offering new
products or services, delivering them in a new way, or changing your
marketing tactics or message. But how do you know for sure you need to
embrace change?

Well, one good sign is that your business is already slowing down or drying
up. But there are a few more classic signs that you may need to rethink how
you do business or risk your business dying out like the dodo in a changing
world…

1) You avoid embracing new technologies because they’re too

complicated, costly or confusing

2) You, or others in your company, regularly say "That won’t

work for us" or "We’ve always done it this way"

3) When presented with a new idea, your first thought is "Great

idea, but I’ll never get my employees-or customers-to do it

that way."

4) You rarely, if ever, take time to study what’s new in

your industry (let alone what’s new outside it) and

consider how that might affect you.

5) You never seem to have time to make changes-even ones you

know are important.

If any of these sound familiar, you need to take a long hard look at

your business and figure out what needs to change. Because the last thing
you want to do is watch the world race on without you.

What are you changing to ensure your continued success?

What new technologies have you embraced recently that are really working for
you?

Please share what you’ve learned by leaving a comment below.

Struggling to create effective marketing that actually brings in lead or
makes sales? You may be guilty of one of the 7 Deadliest Small Business
Marketing Sins. Find out here: http://www.7deadliestsins.com/
<http://www.7deadliestsins.com/>