The Solution Today

UNIQUITY & VALUE INNOVATION; IS KEY FOR BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY.
Uniquity-(unique + personality)
This is a word I have coined to describe the peculiar characteristics that businesses adapt to distinguish themselves from others and consequently develop a following. Uniquity thus is a possession of an innovative uncharacteristic personality.
Innovation is imperative for business Uniquity. As said before, even in a not so saturated market like construction to think that copying and pasting will do, you have something else coming.
WHAT VALUE IS MY BUSINESS PROVIDING
Value is a very subjective phenomenon like quality; however, there is a 2 prong approach to value innovation. The formula would be; Perceived Benefit – Cost = Value Innovation
From this formula a business achieves value innovation through cutting costs and creating experiences for the customer, employee and the market.
The CASE of PETROL STATION A and PETROL STATION B
Let’s look at 2 service stations, located side by side, STATION B and STATION A on Bombo road, if you remember, STATION A came first, then STATION B followed suit, to many it didn’t make sense how STATION B was going to compete with the established STATION A, STATION B had no such plans- competition plans, instead STATION B provided something that created a steady, loyal clientele, mark the word created.
Today just under 6 years, STATION A is only a far cry, a ghost town so to speak in light of the STATION B phenomenon. STATION B understood that a service station is not just about car fuel and tyres, they are about people, and what matters to people most is EXPERIENCE.
Client EXPERIENCE
The experience that customers get when they consume a product or service is where they derive value and quality. Using our case of STATION A and STATION B, one sees 2 businesses doing pretty much the same thing, what makes them different is ‘how they do it’, I happen to love coffee, one of my best cafes being on Bombo road, simply because of the experience, the ambience, the relationship with the service people, I even can read a paper the café gives me,-that is when I am not reading a book from there.
One could wonder how coffee has got to do anything with a fuel station; simple, coffee is to the driver what fuel is to the car. That is why good coffee is important to STATION B.
Maybe coffee doesn’t really make sense, if you use the Bombo RD, by taxi especially, you notice they tend to turn off to STATION B even if to take liter of fuel, but mostly to get change. Yes, change is important to every conductor, while other service stations mise on change, STATION B takes the time to employ a change vendor, at no additional cost to the customer. Why wouldn’t taxis branch there, and how many taxis are going to Ntinda, gayaza, wandegeya that always need change?
Assuming you drive an ipsum maybe, because you have a family, on your way from work you need to fuel up for tomorrow, pick some groceries, of course you have your children in the car, at STATION B you can get high quality ice cream for jonnie and Jessie, while you pick up some substantial shopping in the supermarket.
I am not a PR person for the STATION B nor do I disrespect STATION A but as a consultant I need examples that point out my message of value addition.
My conclusion is that if your business is going to grow and be sustainable, do not do things everybody is doing, or if you must, do these things differently. This principle is a merger of 2 life truths;
1. There is nothing new under the sun.
2. We are born originals but die copies.
You may have an idea that is brilliant, but what will make it mint you the money is how different is it from your neighbor’s, and what do you do that keeps the customer coming back for more and bringing some one along. To see the importance of UNIQUITY and VALUE INNOVATION look at Metro and Shoprite, the Cash Flow game vs. Monopoly.
It is all about maximizing the clients experience, human beings are animals of habit and association, give them a great experience and they will keep coming back for more.
Bryan