Want to win in business? Play to your strengths

An entrepreneur who focuses on what they do best and sets clear goals is the one whose business will succeed

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“Which silver car is it?” Tony shouted as I tagged a car and he raced by.

This was a rematch of an earlier race on a cold morning at Stuart Lake, when Tony and I had sprinted through the water, up to my chest and up to his neck.

I won both times. But the truth is, Tony was much quicker than I ever was. He could leave me in the dust in any 100-, 200- or 400-metre race. My advantage was choosing the race itself.

That same lesson applies in business. Too often, entrepreneurs enter contests where competitors already have the upper hand: more resources, deeper experience, stronger brands, and then wonder why they struggle to keep up. The smarter move is to change the game.

When I raced Tony in the water, I knew my size gave me an advantage. The resistance slowed him down more than me. In business, you need to think the same way: pick the ground where you can outplay others. If a competitor is known for customer service, focus on speed. If they beat you on price, differentiate on quality or specialization. If they dominate the mass market, carve out a niche they’ve ignored.

Consider a local café competing with a national chain. It can’t win on price or advertising budget. But it can win by sourcing locally, offering unique menu items and creating a sense of community that the chain can’t replicate. Or think of a small contractor who doesn’t try to compete on every job but specializes in restoration projects that require rare expertise. Both succeed because they pick races they can actually win.

Just as those businesses chose their contests carefully, you also need to define your finish line. Too many businesses drift without clear sales targets, profit goals or customer acquisition numbers. If you want to double your business in five years, you’ll need roughly 15 per cent annual growth. Ambitious, but achievable with planning. A finish line could be as simple as securing 50 new customers this year or reaching $500,000 in recurring revenue.

The need for clear goals is even more important today. Many owners are contending with higher interest rates, inflation and a tighter labour market. These pressures make it critical to focus on efficiency and play to your strengths rather than trying to compete everywhere at once.

The next step is turning vision into action. Start with three basics:

First, set a clear goal, write it down and post it where your whole team can see it. For example: By 2027, we will reach $5 million in annual sales.

Next, choose a strategy. Decide where you can gain an edge: in a new region, with specialized expertise or with a different pricing model.

Finally, lay out tactics. Break the strategy into weekly actions. That might mean dedicating half your week to business development, only pursuing contracts with a strong chance of success, showing customers consistent appreciation or focusing on work others can’t or won’t do. Without a strategy, tactics are just busywork. With strategy, they become the daily habits that drive growth.

This principle applies just as much in digital markets. Competing online can feel overwhelming when bigger players dominate, but the same rule holds: define a niche where you can win and concentrate your efforts there. Whether that’s offering region-specific services, tailoring products for a community or using AI tools to personalize customer experience, the point is to choose your ground carefully.

Measuring progress matters as much as setting goals. Tracking keeps you accountable, and celebrating small wins keeps morale high. Momentum builds as each milestone pushes you closer to the goal. In uncertain times, those small wins are often what keep businesses alive and growing.

In business, as in racing, don’t enter contests designed for someone else to win. Define the race on your terms. Focus on your strengths, know your finish line and measure your progress. That’s how you make your business a winner in 2025.

David Fuller is a Commercial and Business Realtor with a strong reputation as an award-winning business coach and author. He has extensive experience helping businesses grow and succeed, providing guidance on various aspects of business management, strategy, and development. His work as a business coach and author has earned him recognition in the industry, making him a respected figure in both real estate and business coaching.