Page 195 - Free the Idea Monkey

That was entrepreneur Matt Kuttler’s cue. He started ReStockit.com,
which offers a total of 200,000 restaurant supplies, office supplies,
electronics and tools.

“The fact is, it’s usually way easier to compete with large compa-
nies than small ones,” says Kuttler. “They are set in their ways—we’re
not. We can test ideas more quickly to better serve the customer.
Most businesses are afraid to wake the sleeping giant. That’s where
we find the most opportunity.” Not surprisingly, Kuttler’s company
continues to grow far faster than either Grainger or The Home Depot.

3. Use the Alpha SWOT Analysis. Typically SWOT—or strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats—analysis is used to iden-
tify internal opportunities. Now may be the time to turn a modified
version—let’s call it the Alpha Small Business SWOT—on your
competitors.

Here’s how. You use the same four letters, asking a question
about each.

S = Sneakiness. How can we do something our most beaten-
down competitors would never be prepared for?

W = Will. What would break their spirit right now? What would
make them lose faith in their strategy?

O = Offense. What are the top 10 aggressive tactics we can em-
ploy immediately that would hurt our competitors the most?

T = Thinking (radically). How can we redefine the market-
place, leaving the competition scrambling to catch up?

By using any one of these three techniques, you can assemble an
aggressive, simple (David-like) strategy.

Go get ’em!

180 T H E D A V I D S T R A T E G I E S