“If everybody else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction.”
In the current climate of instant communications over a variety of platforms, the way we view business and our purpose has to be changed.
I don't mean by that change our purpose, but rather to change our responses to the overwhelming glut of information being thrown at us from all over a variety of platforms.
One thing that the new communications world does is tempt us to become like those that have their stories plastered all over the media world. It can create an illusion that business is exploding, simply because it is covered so much by the media in all its forms.
One example would be the user-generated media space. While every media company, both old and new, are saying they're going into this space, in reality, nobody is making money doing it. Even YouTube is losing huge amounts of money at this time.
The point is that the vast amount of media coverage and multi-platforms it can now be put up on, is a strong influence that can push us into sameness with others that will offer no competitive advantage whatsoever.
Sam Walton was saying that in his statement above. Even Wal-Mart is a niche, in spite of the many copycats trying to catch them.
We need to strongly resist the temptation to simply copy and go with the flow of the newest thing. Look at the way the herd is going and make concerted efforts to do something different. The herd will always be thinned out when there is no differentiation between them and anybody else. They only become another commodity that provides no reason to do business with them.
The temptation to follow the herd is strong within us, but we must resist it. We need to stay true to what makes us who we are, in spite of the latest fads and fancies. The survivors in business are those that are unique and stay true to their purpose while the rest of the herd never roots down and grows up.
Sam Walton: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
Sam Walton - Retail Success Story
Sam Walton: King Of The Discounters
Sam Walton: Great From the Start
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