Competitive edge H ow can a fledgling business make sure it is different from its competitors? When a business is new, the difference is that typically the customers deal directly with the owners. What you're selling, as the business owner, is the expertise and passion of you as the founder, whereas with a larger business you're unlikely to get that. As a customer, it's the personal touch of the owner that makes all the difference - knowing that they have a vested interest in giving you the best service possible. How should a business go about defining its USP? It's understanding what your differential is and what you feel you can deliver. Often, a new business owner will feel that they've come up with an idea that is different to every other business out there. But rarely is this actually the case - typically you'll be offering something that's very similar to your competitors. You need to establish what your difference is. Perhaps it's the customer 107