What is your business’s competitive advantage?

What is your strategy for identifying your business’s competitive advantage? 
Your Rant: My company is struggling. Sometimes we try to compete on price, sometimes on customer service - to be honest, we are just making it up as we go along most of the time. Help. ALL THINGS
911 Repair:
I learned one of the most important business [...]

How much do you really know about your customers

Dear WW: I know that our annual report says that our customers are number one. But I just don’t think that customers are really on the radar screen for most of our employees. What can we do to change this? CUSTOMER SERVICE
Dear SERVICE,
A while back I wrote an entire blog at ABCnews.com on the most [...]

How to create your own personal brand

Dear WW: I’ve read a lot of stuff that says that each of us needs to develop our own personal brand. I agree with the idea, but I have no idea where to start. UNBRANDED
Dear UNBRANDED,
I get a lot of phone calls from aspiring columnists, but one really sticks out. This particular woman been working [...]

Hang my own shingle, how to build your own consulting business

What are your strategies for building your own consulting business?
Your Rant: I survived this round of layoffs, but I can still feel the guillotine blade hanging over my head. I’d like to try consulting and get more control over my life. But I’ve always been a corporate gal, so what do I need to know? [...]

McEntrepreneur, questions before buying a franchise

What are your strategies for deciding if you should buy a franchise?
Your Rant: My husband wants to buy a franchise. He wants to work for himself and he thinks a franchise will be easy, like paint by numbers business. Isn’t he understating the challenge?
911 Repair,
A few years ago I stayed at a hotel in [...]

Ouch! I’ve fallen out of being a competitive business!

What’s your strategy for staying competitive?
Your Rant: I’ve run a dry cleaning business for 33 years successfully. Now suddenly my chief competitor starts delivery service and he’s stealing my business! In a million years I never saw that coming. You got any tips to teach an old dog how to keep up with the times?  [...]

Stranded alone-please send public relations

What your strategy for getting PR?
Your Rant: I need some PR for my business. How can I create a buzz?
911 Repair
A fellow swimmer with a story to pitch about her company wanted to know how she could get it in the newspaper. Here’s my answer:First, I have to explain media to you the way an [...]

Internot, making technology part of your strategy

What are your strategies for making technology part of your business strategy?
Your Rant: I keep hearing about how the Web is revolutionizing business. So far all it’s managed to do for us is create a small amount of sales. Where’s the revolution?
911 Repair,
It’s music! No, it’s a distress call! England’s Gloucestershire Airport was having [...]

Let’s Make a Deal–keys to a successful marketing campaign

What are your strategies for an effective marketing campaign?
Your Rant: I just inherited a family business. The business has been declining in the last few years, in part because it’s never been well marketed. Unfortunately, marketing’s not my forte. Can you give me some pointers?
911 Repair,
Donald Cresitello and George Burke were running neck and [...]

David vs. Goliath–fighting the big guys as an entrepreneur

What are your strategies for fighting the big guys as a small entrepreneur?
Your Rant: I own a hardware store in a small town. Recently one of the chains opened a store in a mall just up the road. With their name and size I’m scared they’ll clean my clock.
911 Repair,
Before you jump to conclusions, [...]