Tekedia Institute congratulates McPherson University Champions, undergraduate students who recently graduated from the university. Our Institute appreciates the moment you all spent in our Institute. We want to wish all of you a great future as you go into the world to fix frictions in markets, communities and governments. #Champions, shine globally.
–friends at Tekedia Institute
Congratulations McPherson University Champions for Graduating from Tekedia Institute
Let me congratulate Tekedia Mini-MBA alumnus, Emmanuel Ononogbu CPFM,MICA• of VIP Express Tourism Limited who just won his company’s top award for outstanding performance for the year 2021. In celebrating his moment, he dropped a line from his time at Tekedia Institute where we change mindsets on the mechanics of business:
“every person at Tekedia Mini-MBA is seen as an innovator, an entrepreneur, a project champion, a growth maker, a builder, … whether you work for yourself, a startup, a multinational company, …”
The goal here is to push members to think creatively even when they work in big companies or otherwise. We want to see how you can improve that company. We also want to see how you can improve yours in a case you run your shop. In other words, everyone MUST innovate – no exception.
On that innovation-readiness, we work hard through our courses to posit that future you expect, so that the business climate can become more predictable. Congrats Emmanuel; more wins ahead.
I never compare myself with others even though I get inspiration from others. But daily, I try to beat Ndubuisi Ekekwe of yesterday. This construct brings calm to me and unleashes optimism in my spirit to outperform my past. No matter your circumstances, do not be hard on yourself because doing so freezes your energy.
But do all necessary to keep improving, no matter how little. And if you do, a positive attitude will unlock opportunities because humans who will help you, directly and indirectly, are attracted to positive people.
Comparing yourself with others misses the point because not all of us began from the same level. But be inspired by others, even as you work to outperform your past. Positive attitude makes friends because humans are attracted to positive people. Be your best. #FwdProgress
Can you think of a single line of business you could start today and not have any competition? If you can, please share it in the comment section below.
Now to the topic. What does competition mean for you, and what do you need to do to stay ahead?
Competition means someone knows what you know (maybe even more), and is ready to put in the efforts to offer something better to the same customers you are hoping to serve, sometimes at a lower price than what you are offering, and maybe with some added benefits that you do not offer yet. Whether the competition was in business before you started, or started up after you did, it means the same thing. You are hardly ever in a vacuum. There is always competition.
This definition is explicit enough, yeah?
Now that you know that the almighty idea you thought you could use to change the world, might not be exclusive to you, what are you going to do to stay ahead of the competition?
Invest in your knowledge and your team
Your business will never perform better than what you know. Since you know that some other team out there knows as much as you do, one way to avoid being run over is to constantly invest in knowledge. You cannot afford to be stagnant or rely on what you know already. New information, new data, and new trends emerge daily. Be ready to put in the work. Learn them and up your game.
Mark Cuban says irrespective of the industry you pick, if you are ready to outwork others, be a little better and more prepared than everyone else, you will record more success.
Pursue innovation
In a market where every solution seems to be solving the same problem, only innovation can stand you out from the crowd. Originally, your business should be based on innovation but what happens when competition also has a solution that gives the same benefits as yours. You have to keep innovating to match and stay ahead of the competition. Upgrades, new product launches, new features, and the likes should constantly be on your radar.
Learn more about your customers and your industry
The more information you have about your customers, their needs, preferences, disposition, habits, etc, the more likely you are to produce solutions that will satisfy them. You may need to conduct customer feedback, reviews, market surveys, and more to learn more about the industry trends and the ever-changing customer habits.
Work on being the best, as an individual and as a brand
If the three best in your industry were to be nominated, would your name make it into the list? Are you doing enough to put yourself out there? Are you doing enough to show that you know exactly what you are doing at every point? If you are not, then you should be.
The world is becoming more compact and experts say we might be looking at a future where competitors will be doing more collaborations than before. This does not undermine the need to stay one step ahead of your game at every point.
Every glass that is full was once empty or half-full. I believe that if I keep #pushing, I can get my own glass full (of abundance and opportunities). No matter your state, the fact you can read this, being literate, means your glass is not empty. I ask you to keep filling it!
In our careers, we’re constantly looking for “full” opportunities. We want to work in multinationals, oil companies, telecoms and banking because the glass is already full. They validate our career ascensions. Great if you can get them.
Interestingly, in an increasingly challenging labour market, develop ways to discover half-empty glasses which are refillable. Yes, the job may not be great but as you pour more energy into it, it can lead to something amazing.
When you see an open glass that is half-empty, remember that it is refillable. Not every one of us can begin with a full glass. But with the half-empty glass, we can keep filling it with water – and can get it full.
Celebrate where you are today because you’re actually doing well, filling the glass, one day at a time.