Pricing for advantage / Website

24th Dec 2008

1. PRICING FOR ADVANTAGE

The latest Grant Thornton International Business report shows that only 41%of Australian privately held businesses believe pricing measures can deliver strong competitive advantage.

Just 45% of Australian firms think that cost management is a major source of success in the marketplace, with only about a third of firms (37%) seeing economies of scale as a key driver of competitive gains.

Highlighting worldwide trends, the survey of 7800 international business owners shows almost three – quarters of Australian firms and 71% of overseas respondents value quality as the number one source of competitive advantage, with ethical business practices in second place.

Unlike the majority trend of 34 countries surveyed , Australian firms favoured staff retention (61%) above brand strength (59%). Only a fifth (seven) of the countries placed retention in the top three factors driving competitive advantage, with local firms lining up with New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Greece and Armenia.

2. WEBSITE

If you don’t have a website, get one – even if it is a one page brochure site telling people who you are, what you do, where you are and why they should do business with you. These days many people will look you up on the internet before they call or visit you. If you’re not there they are going to your competitors. You don’t need the best site on the web, you just need a website to start with. A one page site is not expensive and there are many free –do –it –yourself options available with web hosting companies if you shop around.

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