Most of the time business books will define unfair advantage as some type of unique or special business strategy, asset or other type of untouchable "thing" that other businesses can't touch.
I agree with this, but you might be surprised at what it all really comes down to...
You Are The Unfair Advantage
Here's the unfair advantage meaning you may not have expected - because it's YOU.
That's right - you are the secret to standing out and making yourself known. Let's look at few reasons why YOU are the only advantage you need to succeed.
Reason 1: Your Talent
The first of your unfair advantages lies in your talent. This is something you are good at, love to do AND would happily do it for hours if you could. You already have the ability. You just need to dial things in and be observant.
Lets look at a few ways your talent will play into creating your ultimate unfair advantage.
In The Case Of The Musician
The product you create as a musician is music. Your company is your band and your a customer is a fan. There will only be one unique type of music you create. You're not going to make it big as a cover-band so leave that dream alone.
The better you slowly become at producing music the better the more your customer base (fans) will grow. Just be aware that this takes A LONG time, but if you're into making music then it will assuredly be unique and no one else will have the same tracks you do.
What If You're Into Fitness?
There are a million people selling fitness so what could you possibly have as your unfair advantage?
Fortunately, most fitness coaches are problem solvers. Your clients have some type of problem they want to solve and you help coach them through it.
As an instructor and coach you'll discover small problems and issues in the industry you can fix... These unique observations are what will set you apart from the rest of the pack.
Good With Numbers?
For those who are more on the analytical side of things don't worry - you can still tap into something that will help you rise to the top.
There has to be something in all of the data, numbers, and information you comb through that's unique. Something that can be used to help you stand out. The good news is that no one these days is really doing much-needed research on products to find what a business should actually focus on to grow.
Since you have great experience in numbers and data you'll be able to spot advantages easily and build a business from there.
What Medium Will You Use?
All of these little unique advantages you have won't mean much if you don't already know what medium you're best in...
What I mean is - how are you going to communicate your message to people, make a name for yourself and build a following? This typically comes in 3 different forms.
Reason 2: How You Communicate
To best realize your unfair advantage you'll have to take a stand in a specific platform. Your small company of one can grow into something huge if you just perfect one of the following platforms.
If You're Shy Then Write
Blogging still has it's place today. If you don't like doing audio or video then feel free to remain (somewhat) hidden behind your keyboard. The words you use will be your biggest asset in creating a following.
If you really love to write then get into doing books as well. Self-publishing on amazon can be very powerful! Just think of your small business as a one person publishing company and write write write!
If You're Outgoing - Do Video
This is the best of all worlds for your unfair advantage. If you are able to create videos for your business then you've got all the advantages grouped into one. You WRITE scripts for the VIDEO of which you can extract the AUDIO for a podcast (we'll get into podcasting in just a moment)
When you use video as your medium for your unfair advantage you've got the ability to place it in lots of places to have your message be seen by millions of people. Facebook and YouTube can have a profound effect on business if you just find that personal touch.
Not sure? Try a Podcast
Your great product or products can also be featured in a podcast. Naturally the podcast will be in a similar industry which will get you a much higher conversion rate on your product because people already have an affinity for that area of life.
Podcast are hot now and it doesn't seem like they will go away anytime soon. People will marathon podcasts which can make for one of your killer advantages as you embody you as the unfair advantage.
Reason 3: Caring Is Your Hidden Weapon
The biggest unfair advantage you can have is to care more than your competitors. If you're genuine, you'll win...
There are a few reasons for this.
There's A Need For Authenticity
We are all tired of the BS on the internet. The unfair advantages of big companies are typically brand and money. Which means they have diluted any real human substance shown to their fan base.
Lay The Foundation
You can create a great culture among your customer base when you care. When you make caring a priority you'll certainly win. Those bigger unfair advantages of larger companies won't matter when you have the advantage of a strong culture among your customers.
It Takes A Long Time But It Will Pay Off
In case you were wondering, this is not something you can do overnight... It's going to take 2 to 5 years of hard work. Just be prepaired to stay the course for a long, long time.
Conclusion
It may sound cheesy to say that you are your own unfair advantage, but it's true.
Listen you don't have to be Jim Carey to get to Hollywood. You don't need to be Stephen King to have success in publishing a book.
The unfair advantages of humans comes down to how much talent they can demonstrate to the world. You've just got to build a following and slowly grow things from there.