Standing Out in a Sea of Competitors

 Starting your own small business is no small feat. And if you’re juggling more than one small business, you really need to make sure that you’re using your time wisely andreally standing out from others in your industry.

As the owner of Bespoke Flipbooks and co-owner of Escape Factor, this is a challenge that I’m faced with on a constant basis. What I have learned over several years in each industry is that the key to getting people to notice you is to provide them with an experience rather than just talking to someone blue in the face about your services.
 
When I’m first introduced to someone and they ask, “What is Bespoke Flipbooks?” I tell them that it’s an interactive entertainment company where we get hired to set up at an event, film a quick seven second video of the guests moving and dancing around, and in less than a minute, create a 60-page flipbook keepsake of that video as part of their entertainment. Usually, the first response I get is, “Oh, that’s interesting!” When I actually have a flipbook in hand for them to thumbthrough, however, then their eyes really open wide.

It isn’t until they experience our service at an event is when they finally get it. It’s at that point where they’ve been fully immersed and have gone through all the motions of actually creating a flipbook from beginning to end. They see the process of moving and dancing in front of the camera, viewing their clip in video form, and then watching the process of printing, cutting, and assembling their very own custom flipbooks. Because we don’t have a storefront, in order for people to experience our service, Bespoke Flipbooks has been setting up at various local events and giving people the opportunity to create a flipbook of their very own. We’ve set up at a previous BAH at the Oak Park Library, and we may also be setting up at a future BAH around the holiday season.
 
With Escape Factor, the situation is similar. People do get a general idea of what an escape room is after we explain it to them, but again, having them go through the motions really helps them to understand the concept. Without having people be at our facility, we’ve created what we call our 5-minute challenge where we set up at street fairs, sidewalk events, etc. It’s a simple table set up where people have five minutes to get into the mysterious treasure chest by getting clues to solve various tasks, retrieving keys, and opening secret boxes. After they’ve tried our 5-minute challenge, we then show photos of our fully immersive escape rooms and explain that it’s perfect for any family occasion, corporate team building, or even just a friends night out.  
 
Is there a way to market your products and services in a way that gives your customers a more memorable experience? Perhaps if your business is in skincare, have a spa party and have your potential clients try out your products. If you’re in the apparel industry, set up a mini photoshoot of your customers trying on different outfits.
 
Now the question is, what experiences can you offer to your customers that can you make your business stand out from the rest? And remember, the more creative you are, the more memorable you’ll be!