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These two samples are taken from a weekly calendar produced for Ameritech to distribute in 1998 to its home office customers. For purposes of this project, we divided the year into six groups of eight or nine weeks. Each week's calendar featured a short nugget of home-based business advice. The groups were organized along themes, such as planning, marketing, and family. A short feature story introduced each group. The story and nugget that follow appeared in the grouping labeled "Competitive Strategies." In her evaluation of the project, Mary Sullivan of Ameritech gave top marks to content, writing, attention to deadlines and responsiveness. "Stu Watson was excellent to work with," she wrote.
Working at Home Offers
the Advantage of Size
In that corner, the big, well-known firm, with dozens of people and loads of money. In this corner, your tiny home-based shop.
The odds look pretty good -- in your favor.
You're not so sure? Remember Goliath? Remember David? Who was quicker, chock full of courage, smarts and ability, but lacking in the sluggish smugness of the Big Old Boy? Who had the better competitive strategy?
"You've got flexibility operating out of your home," says Sandy Weinberg, entrepreneurship professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa.
"If there's a snow storm, you can call your customers and let them know you're still open. Use your flexibility as a selling point."
Let's also not forget Goliath's greater overhead.
"When a client comes to me, he or she is paying for my expertise, first and foremost," says home-based public relations consultant Judy Lederman of Irvington, New York. "The money is not going to decorate an office."
Remember, too, that David slung the rock himself. Didn't delegate the job. Didn't have to.
"Providing personal service is one of the best ways of differentiating our companies from the big guys," says Mary Ellen Bates, owner of home-based Bates Information Services in Washington, D.C.
Personal service keeps customers happy. And happy customers keep the ball rolling.
"With a small business, what we're selling is ourselves," says Bates. "Word-of-mouth is the only way I get new business. It's the easiest and most efficient way to market."
Cheapest, too. If you're not paying to sell yourself, your client isn't paying as much to buy your services.
Doing great work at less cost. A great competitive strategy, from the time of David to the time of your life.
One plus one equals three. Different home businesses working together become a different business -- bigger. If you see an opportunity but can't handle it yourself, enlist other home workers who can help. Virtual companies can learn more about the market, bid for bigger jobs, share sales forces or product lines, expand customer base and distribution. The key? Show partners how $1 plus $1 equals $3.