All organizations have a lot of competition, particularly as the economic situation tightens up in the marketplace. When potential clients do competition research, what will they find out about your company that is different from any others in your industry? Answering that identifies your competitive advantage. Here are 7 top areas you can use to establish a competitive advantage in your organization.   

1. Unique Quality. Promote areas in your organization that highlight its areas of uniqueness. Make sure it’s something others are not able to easily copy. This can be a value added service or products only you provide.   

2. Personal Story. Be willing to let clients know the personal side of the organization. Relate the story of how the company got started and people behind the idea.  Let that story become a part of your brand. No one has the same organization story and this could be the area that lets the target group connect with you instead of the competition.     

3. Education. Promote how you company uses areas of education in the business.  Create a presence on educational campuses and open up your company training opportunities to the public. Promote the formal and informal educational background of your employees to increase consumer confidence in your team.   

4. Experience. Your organization experience is developed over the years.  Create case histories of what the company has experienced and show the lessons learned. Let consumers know about special certifications, innovations, creative concepts, or behavioral ideas that are exciting and unusual that makes your organization shine.  

5. Hire Locally. Find ways to create employment opportunities in the community. Hire locally or take on interns from the local college. Letting students work with you to learn business is a newsworthy idea that could possible let you get recognized by local media.  

6. Suppliers/Service Providers. Your suppliers and providers could give you a competitive edge by providing consistent quality, quick turnaround and unique items.  

7. Price Right. Are you priced right? Do you have the goods to deliver? You make your business accessible by pricing your offerings so people can buy them without feeling like they are destroying their budgets. Be flexible and offer a range of prices to keep your target market during economic shifts.  

Your competitive edge can be something small but it has to be identifiable. More often, it’s how you promote your competitive edge that makes it an advantage for the organization. Increase your marketing efforts by learning and using creative ways to establish your competitive edge as an organization or company in any field.