Unexpected Ways Your Business Can Outperform the Competition

As an entrepreneur, you’ll always have to find new and innovative ways to stand out from the competition. The Internet is just another level of business where you need be competitive.  Here are 4 simple ways you can compete successfully in your industry:.

(Curated from Entrepreneur Magazine)

1. Keep Your Promises

Many businesses and entrepreneurs make promises they either don’t or can’t keep.  An easy way to stand out from the competition is to simply honor what you say, keep your promises, and do great work.

“Stand out from your competition by doing something that should be a standard practice in business today but isn’t. If you can’t deliver—then don’t promise. Be realistic in what services you can provide and in what time frame.”

2. Be Original

It's easy to copy the success of others. Become someone clients and businesses know and trust by modeling you success after other entrepreneurs and not stealing it.

“When you are original you stand out from everyone else that tries to be like everyone else. If an idea is someone else’s, give credit where it’s due. Take the strategy and make it unique to you and what your business does. People will respect you more for telling the truth.”

3. Don’t Lose Focus

Everyday there is a new form of technology that may help your business. There will always be a new social media platform to join. Only use the tools that will help you achieve your goals in a realistic manner.

“One measure of success is your ability to filter. There will always be a new gadget or social network or strategy, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for your business or where your focus should be right now. Everything has its place and time and it’s vitally important to never lose your balance. Focus on what will help your next steps. Focus on one thing at a time. Focus on what will help your customers the most.”

4. Maintain Consistent Service

Customer service is important for any business. When a client asks for help, provide consistent  assistance. Listen to your clients and provide useful information to solve their problems.

“There are a thousand different things to focus on and that have to get done in a business. You stand out when your focus is on your customer’s needs. Listen to what leads and customers are saying their biggest struggles are and then map out a strategy to help them.”

What are other ways you can stand out from the competition?

How to Use Big Data to Improve Marketing

Acquiring data from your marketing tools is one thing. Interpreting this data correctly and using it to improve your strategy is where it starts to get a little tricky. Here are some tips to help you get started:

(Curated from Tech.Co)

1. Follow online trends.
You can follow online trends to see how your audience's interests change. Use online tools to find different ways to engage your audience.

“One way of using Big Data is using the Google Trends online tools. This is one of the easiest and simplest ways of using big data. It gives the user the trending topics that are related to the search word that they have entered. Marketers can filter the results based on who they want to target either globally or locally. It gives a broad range of options to set filter options that include location, regions, countries, interests among any others. Using a trending topic, you can associate it with your product to get more traction.”

2. Identify the characteristics of your ideal customer.

With online tools and data, you can determine who your ideal customer is, where they live and work, and what type of marketing content they'll respond to.

"Using Big Data, you can set Ideal Customer Profile. With Big Data, a market does not need to make an educated guess at this day and age of technology. Big Data delivers accurate information about people’s ages, demographics, and work profile of the targeted consumers. According to Avis Budget case study, the company managed to have an effective contact strategy because of big data."

3. Use data to predict trends and outcomes.

You can use predictive analytics to determine how well your current marketing strategy will do.

"Using a company’s base CRM data and other third-party Big Data providers, a marketer can generate a predictive lead score. The information can then be used to predict future lead behavior. This gives marketers a clear indication on digital behaviors that should be weighed more in lead scoring."

How do you use Big Data to improve your marketing strategy?

Advice for Women Entrepreneurs from Women Entrepreneurs

Despite being just as capable as men, many women face double standards and unfair treatment in the business world. While it’s easy to become discouraged, women entrepreneurs can follow the advice of other successful women to overcome these challenges.

(Curated from Tech.Co)

• Support other women

Other women are probably facing similar obstacles, so you already have something in common! Connecting with other women is a great way to network and find a mentor.

“I’m not saying join a twelve step program for women entrepreneurs (does such a thing exist? That could be a genius startup idea in itself!) but get out there and meet other women who are in the same boat. Get yourself a kickass mentor, or create a group if one doesn’t already exist in your area.”

• Don’t be afraid to take risks

Taking risks is a huge part of being an entrepreneur. If you’re not comfortable with rolling the dice, you might have to step outside your comfort zone and give it a shot.

“Almost every aspect of entrepreneurship involves taking risks, and while some might end in failure, the ones that don’t can be very rewarding. Just remember to enter these risks with the confidence that you will succeed.”

• Ask for help when you need it

You can’t accomplish your goals without a little help every now and then. If you ask for help when you need it, you’ll make it further than most.

“Don’t try to conquer the world single-handedly. The most successful entrepreneurs know when to ask for help. Be strategic about it and know that it’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of good judgement and awareness.”

• Pursue goals you’re passionate about

As an entrepreneur, you’re going to have dedicate most of your time to your job if you want to be successful. So, you have to make sure it’s something you genuinely enjoy and are interested in pursuing.

If you’re going to be spending most of your waking hours working towards something, try your damndest to make it something you’re truly passionate about.

What advice would you give other female entrepreneurs?