If we hear one thing over and over from small business owners its, I just need more customers. Heard it before 9/11, heard it after, heard it during the housing bubble, now hearing it again. Here are my 10 Reasons Your Competitors Have More Business Than You:

1.They hire better people to start with. Its next to impossible to train someone who really doesnt like people to begin with, to act nice.

2.Their merchandise or service stands apart from the rest. Whether it is the dry cleaners who automatically fixes zippers, buttons or broken snaps or the lawn service guy who regularly checks outside lights, they do something the other guys dont.

3.They understand how they fit into their local marketplace giving appropriate service to their relative product cost.

4.They know what their products do, how they are better and can tell people in a way that doesnt trip their idiot switch.

5.They have a website and understand the basics of keywords to drive online traffic to their doors.

6.They have given up coupons to try to get new people in the door and only reward those on their email or other lists.

7.They try new things.

8.They have a training program that teaches employees how to deliver an experience that stands out from others.

9.They are profitable.

10.They dont keep comparing themselves to others but hold themselves accountable for their actions, choices in products and people they employ.

These are by no means all the reasons but a common thread in many audiences I appear before. What are some of your thoughts?