Blog > Are you Guilty of Compare and Despair?
I’ve spoken to at least 3 clients this week who have compared themselves to their competitors, and felt deflated as a result.
A syndrome otherwise known as Compare and Despair.
A syndrome which is very common amongst small business owners.
I always ask clients not to Compare and Despair, but rather to Compare and Prepare.
Negative comparisons often lead to inactivity; which starts you moving backwards, “Look at what they are doing, they are so much better than me, why should I bother?”
So whilst you should compare yourself with your competitors as part of your market research, use these comparisons positively. Learn from them and prepare to do something which will move you forwards rather than backwards. Remember you and your business are wonderfully unique! When looking at others ask:
- Do you want to do more of what you see someone else doing? How could you do it in a way that is unique to you?
- Do you want to move forwards but in a different direction to them so that you’re differentiated? If so, how could you best do that?
Below are 3 ideas to help you Compare and Prepare:
1. Learn from the Best
1. Click here to see a great article from Small Business Trends, with 10 different ideas from well-known entrepreneurs. Grab a cuppa and have a read. Compare yourself to these entrepreneurs, and for each one jot down 2 ideas that you could do to help move your business forward. That’s 20 new ideas!
2. Keep Control of Your Vision
….suggests one of the ideas in the Small Business Trends article. Click here to read a blog I wrote on creating a vision last week. Holding onto your vision helps you to keep moving towards your own vision rather than a competitor’s you have compared yourself to.
3. Build Your Brand
With a clear brand you know what you stand for and why you are different from others. Get very clear on what your brand personality is and your key guiding principles, or values. Click here to read about how to make your brand FAB. Make sure your brand shines so others are Comparing and Despairing when they look at you!