How Your Competition Can Make You Rich

Ok, I’ll admit it – once every couple of weeks, I stop by Subway on my way home from the gym to grab a foot long Roasted Chicken Sub with all the works.

Even though I know it’s not the best post-workout meal, I love that Roasted Chicken Sub and all its toppings, especially when I have them throw on some bacon to give it that extra salty bacony flavor!  Hey, I’m human - I gotta live a little too, ya know. ‘;-)

Ok, so today, I’m driving home and thinking about stopping by Subway to get my favorite sandwich.

Well, knowing that the place would be packed during lunch, I continued on to another Subway down the road, not too far past where I live.

The other place is a little bit further away but nobody goes there, which means I can walk right in, place my order and be on my way home to eat in less than 5 minutes. 

This one particular shop is kind of like my own private little secret Subway that nobody knows about. It’s kind of funny actually, as it seems that I’m only one of a handful of people in town that even know it exists!  

Now even though it’s flanked by two large grocery stores, a shoe store, a camera store, and a few other smaller non-competitive retailers, this Subway does very little business.

The ingredients are just as fresh and as good as the other Subway’s and this store is in a pretty good location.

So why does this one particular Subway do very little business while the other

Subway has a line out the door every single day, at the same exact time?

Here’s the difference:

The crowded Subway is situated in a strategic location.

Surrounding it is Carls Jr, a Pizza Shop, a Quiznos, Caribou Coffee and several other food stores - each in direct competition with one another.

The owners of these stores are all very smart business owners.

Each owns a business that is surrounded by other businesses in the same industry.

This fact alone, forces each one to become a better marketer and a more savvy advertiser.

Since local customers know that they have several food choices available in that one little mecca, this lures people to their location to make a selection based on how they feel when they arrive.

Truly, the best marketer in that environment, wins.

The very fact that there are several diffent options for people to choose from causes more people to show up during lunch and then pick what they want that day.

Truly, people will eat the same thing every day for a month, if they are marketed to in a way that makes them hungry for the same thing every time.

You see the same effect at a food court in a mall.

When there are many options to choose from, it brings people together which then gives each restaurant a fair chance at earning people’s business.

Many times, the one that appears the most crowded, gets more of the business based on the “herd mentality”.  If a line is forming, a larger line will form. You see this in any business.

So, why am I sharing this with you?

Because if you look deep enough, the strength of many competitive businesses

all working in the same marketplace, runs parallel with the power of a mastermind.

The mastermind is much more powerful, than a single standing mind on its own.

The crowded Subway versus the non-existent Subway is just an example.

By surrounding yourself with other businesses and business owners of strong, like minds, you are more likely to be inspired, creative and motivated.

Positioning yourself with the most competitive, most driven and self expressed individuals you can, there’s a good chance that you will become one yourself.

You must thrive on competition and welcome the opportunity to gain, or lose customers, should you not perform up to the rest of the mastermind’s standards.

People are watching.

Your potential customers are expecting.

The industry is all competing.

What you are doing to become better is no secret.

If you isolate yourself and stear clear from competition – there’s no doubt, you WILL perish.

It’s not a matter of if, just when.

Invest in yourself wisely and surround yourself with only the best.

Compete with the top dogs in your market and become one yourself.

The competition may be fierce, but so will be your results.

Jump in, right into the middle, without a life jacket or preserver.

You’ll realize quickly – it’s sink or swim.

It matters to your long term success in business and in life.

Don’t be like the non-competitive Subway owner, sitting by himself on the outside, wondering why nobody, is walking in.