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Category Archives for "Competitive Strategy"

How to compete with a larger company

It can be difficult to compete with larger companies.  To many, they seem to have all the advantages and no disadvantages.  There are several reasons why larger competitors make tough competitors.  This week, we’ll examine the advantages and disadvantages of the larger competitor, and how you can use them strategically to build more profitable business. […]

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Specialty/commodity splits in your markets

If you have attended the Simplified Strategic Planning seminar or read the book, you are probably already familiar with the concepts of specialty and commodity customers.  Simply put, specialty customers are those who perceive premium value in a product or service and are willing to pay for that value, while commodity customers choose based on […]

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Dimensions of Competition

When most people are traveling on a highway, stopping for fuel or food involves an interesting decision making process. We often exit the highway and look for a restaurant or gas station that will meet our needs. Naturally, a strong brand preference may cause us to choose one exit over the other, but, without a […]

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Contingency Planning – How to Prepare for What Happens Next

Contingency planning for the next few months. In my article on contingency plans for the Covid-19 Pandemic, I outlined a threat-based approach to the pandemic impact.  This week, I’d like to extend that thinking into the next few months.  While this may not seem strategic to some people, huge chunks of market share will be […]

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What Strategies Work Best When the Economy Is Weak?

Strategies in recessions – What kind of strategies work best? We’ve been using Simplified Strategic Planning for over 40 years now, and we’ve seen companies fare well through recessions many times.  Those that do well use strategies that are just a bit different from most of their competitors.  You should consider those differences for your […]

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Contingency Plans – What To Do About Threats

In strategic planning, we sometimes look at threats that will harm your business.  We avoid looking at every threat, since good strategy is about opportunities more than threats, but there are still some threats that may be worth examining.  In general, these are threats that will substantially reduce your likelihood of success, but they also […]

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