There can be a lot of talk around the struggles that businesses can face in regional areas. The population is smaller, opportunities perceived to be few and far between, life is a little quiet and so forth.
Flipping the perspective in a more positive light, being in a smaller area can bring many advantages. One of these is being able to cut through the noise very quickly where there might be less competition in your particular market. With less distraction in your area, marketing and connecting with the population can be far easier.
Remember episode 6 of the podcast with Karin Neate of L’escargot Ivre Photography & Graphic Design? Karin has identified the benefits of living in a small area where it’s a lot easier to be seen with less competition. As a result Karin has been able to spend more time providing a high quality service for her area rather than fight for attention with other competition.
As long as you are creating value for others by providing a fantastic product or service, you can very quickly become a ‘big fish in a small pond’. This comes from a lot of grass roots communicating and connection with your area, but the chances of you getting that much desired attention can be far greater in smaller communities.
Live in a capital or larger city? The same concept can apply! Think about who your customer and audience is and how you can find ways to became a big player in a small niche. Often we begin ‘wide’ and scream out to as many people as possible to get their attention. If we can scale down to a small group (just like a small town), we can build reputation, reliability and momentum to drive a perception of being a big fish in one of many small ponds out there.
What is your pond? Have you become a key person/business in your small community? Share your stories in the comments below!