Hopefully, you have figured out your business niche. If you haven’t, please take some time to do so. You may sell widgets, but do you sell educational widgets, children’s widgets or healthcare widgets?

Now is the time to find your competitors with the same or similar niche so you can determine how “you” will stand out and apart from them. What will you bring to the table that they don’t? What can you do better?

I’ve chosen seven ways you can stand out from your competition:

1. Identify your competitors. Do they provide the same services/products?
2. Identify what makes you unique…then identify what your competitors say makes them unique.
3. Compare strengths and weaknesses. What do you do better? What do you think they do better? Be honest in your observations, then make any necessary adjustments that will set you apart and make you stand out.
4. Who is your intended buyer…your target audience? Do you target a specific age, gender, business type or geographic location? Are your competitors targeting the same audiences? Also, look for reviews. Are their reviews backing up there “greatness?”
5. How do your competitors use social media? Are they actively and consistently engaged on social media? Are their followers interactive and responsive to them and… if so, is that activity “real” activity. Do they receive a lot of complaints, praise or compliments?
6. Do your competitors advertise online? Have you seen advertising for your competitors on other websites? Do you see others advertising your competitor?
7. Have you visited your competitors’ website? Do you think it’s better than yours? Are there positive things about their site that you should incorporate into your website? Does your website have positive things missing from their website? Is their website easy to use and navigate? Does it have all the informational elements about your business you think your “niche” market should know?

The above are questions you should ask yourself. There are certainly more ways to differentiate yourself when building and branding your business.

Now that you’ve gotten started, can you think of others?