This might be the strangest business advice you read this week. The thought goes like this – sometimes, being “unique” in business can work against you. But how can it, in markets where innovation and careful development is often prized above all else? If you’re just doing the same as everyone else, why would a customer look to you, a small business owner, over the more experienced and larger companies?
Such a response is entirely logical, of course. However, it’s true that while the solid business idea you have will require a unique selling point (USP) to succeed, it’s good to know where appropriate wisdom has won out over the years. For example, you might plan a wedding with your own unique aesthetic, but in order to invite your beloved family members, you may need to make accommodations, like considering parking, the itinerary of the day, and the traditional reception after the fact. Sometimes, good, repetitive, common practice works. Let’s discuss how that applies to business:
Payment Convenience
As a small business owner, you might run a vintage salon or barbershop where everyone wears waistcoats, you play 50’s jazz music and shave your clientele with straight razors and foam, but you can bet that customers will still want to pay with their phone wallets or cards. Cash or cheques just won’t cut it for most, pun intended.
So it’s important to make sure the payment methods you have don’t cause frustration or friction as part of that sales funnel. You can use the best system for you own business, such as POS for boutiques, but try not to get too cute and make the reason you’re running your business harder to interact with, especially not in service of an aesthetic or sense of contrarianism.
Safety Planning
The same applies here, of course. You could be the most unique and off-the-wall brand in your industry, but we’re all still beholden to the same safety, duty of care and compliance regulations as any other brand.
So even if your local gym is only meant for the elite powerlifters who know how to drop a 200kg barbell without hurting anyone, having guides on hand, the right supports, essential safety training and also disciplining harmful practice is essential. Keeping that in mind will help you work within the constraints of your necessary limitations.
Marketing & Branding
Now, this is where you, a small business owner, can be unique. For example, you might just have a symbol and no other information that you use for social media or public display ads, adding a sense of intrigue.
However, while the aesthetic of your branding and marketing, as a small business owner, can be mysterious or unique, you still need to suggest how to interact with you. Even the most niche QR code still needs to link to a website with a security certificate and a pathway of what to do and what you offer. You still have to level with people and let them know what you’re doing and why, however, shrouded in narrative that is. Making sure you get the balance right is essential, then.
