By Fernando Berrocal

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‍Business competition exists between businesses that offer comparable products.  Competitors aim their product offerings at the same consumer base. Businesses compete in order to attract (and retain) consumers, boost sales, and expand their market share. A crucial step to starting a business is knowing its competitors.

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First, outline your organization's objectives and the measures you'll take to accomplish them. This will show that you have a thorough plan in place.  Second, discuss your specific competitors.  How does your product differ from theirs? It's critical to provide specifics about your marketing strategy, and a plan for reaching business objectives through comprehending what the client wants. Third, you must comprise a budget and market information. Finally, detail the sales process to finish your business plan writing competition. To analyze viability, highlight any unique selling propositions, and detail significant financials.

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When “framing” a business plan, you must identify your competitors. Analyzing your competition will expose your market potential–and competitive edge.  This understanding is essential to your organization's success, since it will help you understand how they run their operations, advertise themselves, and what standards you must fulfill to compete with them. Remember: investors need to be aware of potential pitfalls your team could face, so they will also be interested in this research.

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In your formal strategy, pitch, or summary, never claim you have zero competition. Investors interpret this as a sign of business inexperience. Competition is necessary; even if you don’t presently have competition, you will eventually.  A competitive analysis report is a strong tool that serves (in part) to predict market saturation; highly pertinent information for your team (and investors).  Consider the issue you are attempting to resolve and what other people are doing to address it. What kind of businesses are most likely to enter your market if you succeed? 

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Creating a Document for Competitive Analysis

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1. Create an internal management plan. A part of the competition is included in the strategic approach for business owners.  This is a technique for comprehending rivalry, and creating strategic posture. You must evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of your competitors.
2. Finalize your official business plan.  In the context of meeting with potential investors or lenders, your business plan should define your competition explicitly.  This is to reassure your audience that you are aware of competitors, can seize chances, and steer clear of pitfalls. 

What should be included in your business plan?  When it comes to structuring this document, be proactive. Be prepared for any issues and opportunities. You aim is to stimulate discussion: What possibilities exist? What is their cause for concern? In the context of potential concerns, your organization's objective is defensive–in some instances, a reactive tone is more appropriate.  You should demonstrate your familiarity and readiness to react. Keep your objectives in mind when you write the portion of your business plans that discusses the competition.

How thorough should it be? You don't have to cover every detail while making a management strategy. Instead, pay attention to what's most crucial. If you don't have all the information, your formal business plan won't appear competent.

3. Put yourself in a competitive position within your market.  It's critical to understand how your business stacks up in terms of value. Pricing, message, and distribution are examples of marketing tactics. They also compare your company to rivals. How does your firm differ from them?  How will consumers evaluate both organizations? The objective is to position your business such that it stands out from competitors. It's crucial for your target audience to distinguish your startup from other companies. Think about how you might highlight that distinction. What can you do to stand out to your customers?

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4. Create a positional map.  To show how a market compares, make a map using any two competitive criteria. Additionally, position the map with both vertical and horizontal axes. Price is frequently shown on one axis while a relevant quality component is plotted on the other. Note: this presupposes that value and cost need to be closely connected.
5. Work on a competitive framework. Many businesses have a competitive matrix that illustrates how various rivals compare. You may evaluate your items concerning the competition using these elements. The competitive matrix works well here. Try to demonstrate the organization's capabilities (rather than just the market demands). This describes your credibility–and how to increase it.
6. Analyze information about your rivals.  Understanding the requirements of your organization can assist you in making a decision. Finding our information about your competition is a component of your business strategy just like any other. On the internet, there is a wealth of data about your rivals. It is challenging to sort through the data and choose what to concentrate on.
7. Seek out online evaluations. Find evidence to back up your arguments. Compared to the quantity of financial data available to larger firms, it could be challenging to discover information about smaller competitors. Reviews, social media, and websites are available for many local businesses. However, try not to provide too much information. Only provide what your readers need.

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8.  Obtain financial data. Don't assume privately held businesses can provide you with financial information. A surrogate can be used to obtain details on personnel, cars, and rating in reviews. You can think about taking on the role of a prospective client to learn more. Associations within the sector, publications, and media attention can all be used to identify these elements. There are also online financial profiles for the industry.

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Deep analysis of your competition can be daunting, but keep in mind that competition is always beneficial.. For this reason, you must understand how to work a consideration of the competition into any business plan. Your rivals are preparing to make big moves– you must be prepared.

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Ready to bring your startup to the next level? Apply to MassLight’s next batch. MassLight supplies capital and a dedicated tech team. We take equity in return. Have questions? Refer to our FAQ page.

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