Owning a small business has never been easy. Anyone who succeeds must have a passion for their work, be willing to put in extra hours, and come across a little bit of luck along the way. While the internet has created a lot of opportunities and benefits for small businesses everywhere, it has also aided the consistent dominance of retail behemoths like Amazon, Walmart, Costco, and others.

This brings us to the question: Can a small business truly thrive in such a world? The answer is yes. Retail giants may dominate in sales and revenue, but that doesn’t mean that your smaller enterprise can’t find your place and capitalize on the unique qualities that you can offer your customers.

Whether you run an eCommerce store, brick-and-mortar store, or both, here are some surefire ways you can up your game and blaze a trail to success:

Keep learning about eCommerce.

With a rapidly changing tech world, the landscape of business is constantly evolving. As in any area of life, how successful your business is will depend—in many ways—on your willingness to keep learning. And the web offers endless resources to assist your endeavors.

Take, for instance, eCommerce wikis, which canteach you about everything from advertising and public relations to growth hacking and brand equity. A willingness—even an eagerness—to use this kind of resource will help you to set your company apart and find success.

Consider temp staffing.                  

Companies like Amazon and Walmart wouldn’t be where they are if they didn’t run world-class warehouses and distribution centers. If your company requires a warehouse, you won’t be able to reach your potential without running it efficiently, either.

Fortunately, you don’t need to start with a ton of full-time workers to achieve this. By going through a temp agency, you can fill positions with temporary workers, which will buy you time to find quality full-time candidates. Plus, along with helping you to get your business operations running effectively, a staffing agency will even handle payroll for you.

Narrow your niche.

 It may seem, between all the largest retailers out there, that everything that can be sold is being sold. However, everything’s not being sold, and your business can offer customers something unique. If you already have such a product, then you need to focus your energy on developing a killer marketing strategy. If not, make a priority of finding/narrowing your niche so that you can give people something not offered by other companies.

 Provide second-to-none customer service.

The most successful retailers in the world today typically have consistent customer service. In fact, nothing is more important than customer service, especially in an age where purchasing and receiving products is getting more and more convenient.

Here’s the catch: Your small business has an advantage in this department. While the big guns can offer consistency, they can’t offer the personalized customer experience that your company can offer. Personalize your customer interactions and customer service, and you’ll steadily gain customer loyalty.

 Work on your online brand.

This is particularly vital if you run an eCommerce store, but it’s also important if you run a brick-and-mortar establishment. More and more people are not only purchasing online, but they’re also finding businesses and products online. Along with creating and maintaining a professional website, commit to growing your online brand by boosting your social media presence and getting positive reviews on Google, Facebook, and other prominent sites.

No, it’s not easy to run a successful small business today, but yes, you can do it. Use online resources to learn about eCommerce, and look to temporary staffing agencies if you need help running your warehouse. Also, find your niche, personalize your customer service, and continue to build your online brand. There will always be retail giants in the world, but you can make your company truly one-of-a-kind.

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