These days a lot of people suffer from similarity to their competitors. Being different makes something more salient, more memorable, more of a personal expression. And it makes it more difficult to compare or confuse it with other options. Juris Bruvers – well-known influencer, entrepreneur, and mentor is here to shed some light on this overlooked issue.

Do a competitive audit on your competitors

• Look at who they are, what they are named
• Their products and services
• What kind of markets and categories are they in
• How and where they market themselves
• How do they price themselves
• Their targeted customer base

When you ask these questions, you have to ask yourself, how many competitors do I have in my market. Juris implies to be sure to pay attention to how your competitors differentiate themselves from others.

This is the moment to look at the landscape and try to find room where there is opportunity for improvement and to establish a foothold in a market.

What to change in your brand to stand out

First look at pricing, are you a premium or a value brand. A great example of this is Dollar Shave Club – they totally disrupted the razor market undercutting well-known brands by offering cheap razors in the mail on a subscription basis says Bruvers.

You can also use quality

See if there is space for a niche in your market. Tesla for example was a luxury brand that capitalized on the opening in the luxury but eco-friendly segment.

Look at the possible delivery methods

Companies like Amazon revolutionized the book world by offering books in a digital space. There is Uber Eats, which transformed the food delivery world.

Where are you marketing?

What platforms do you use, social, traditional marketing, television, broadcasts, and podcasts? What is it in terms of your marketing that you can change from your competition?

Customer targeting

The most important thing Juris adds is to look at what age group, what interests, what niche your customers fall in. See how you can communicate your brand to them.

”All in all, remember that differentiation in business is everything. You differentiate your brand in a way that lets your customers recognize you from the competition and you win,” says Juris.

Juris Bruvers: How To Start a Business

Starting a business is one of the most exciting experiences you can have. After all, you’re the beating heart and soul of your new company, and its success is your success. But founding a start-up isn’t easy. Less than 1% of start-ups receive funding from external investors. And only a handful of these ever become a unicorn or achieve a successful exit.

So, what’s the secret to turning bright ideas into successful start-ups?

We spoke with Juris Bruvers – a leading digital marketer, entrepreneur, and influencer about what he has learned and what advice he has to give to newcomers.

Forget about perfection and focus on finding your customers

”The number one reason entrepreneurs fail is that they don’t have customers who want to buy their product or service.” One of the best ways to identify your base can be through paid channels like Google that maximize your exposure to consumers. Once you locate your customers, you are in a strong starting position and you can turn to fine-tuning from there.

Have a dominant social-media presence

A massive part of any business’s success today is the presence it has online. ”Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest have been invaluable tools to businesses big and small for years now, and this trend will only continue as time goes on.” By learning how to use social media effectively, you can increase your following, get tons of new visitors each week and even influence their purchases with ease shares Bruvers.

Reach out to creators, influencers, and brands

It’s important to build relationships with influencers and creators who have a large following and can be potential business partners says, Juris. They can help you grow your business by giving their followers some insight into what it is like operating a clothing company or even mention your products on social media for exposure.

In conclusion

Starting a business can be challenging, but it’s also rewarding. Juris reminds that successful entrepreneurs know that success in any industry is about more than just the product or service you offer. They know their audience and competitors, formulate an actionable plan to achieve what they want to accomplish with their company, work hard on branding themselves and their products effectively and keep learning from mistakes along the way.