Competing in a noisy world is hard. When there are many like you, you need to gain an advantage to stand out. Getting this right means building your business differently. Here is how…

Imagine you were in the cup business. Cups are a necessity so that’s a good business to be in. But Many people think so and therefore many people are in this business all competing to get ahead and grow.

Across seven events in 3 days, I met over 1,500 business owners. The biggest, a fourth-generation family business achieving R450m annual revenues. The smallest, a 9-month-old township business growing towards R78 000 annual revenues. A smorgasbord of entrepreneurs, business owners and warriors. All fighting against increasingly tough odds, to simply survive. Many, thriving too.

Within friction, lies opportunity or demise. If products are products, which they mostly are, and service is service, which it mostly is, where is the next edge of competition? Friction holds the key to unlock your advantage. As it does for your competitors too.

We received a long email from a listener who is considering going into his parent’s business. He has a career in a different industry but has worked in the family business before. His folks have an option to get external professional management into it, but they are reluctant because it’s part of the family heritage.