Next Year's Competitive Advantage Isn't An App Or Machine

Next year's competitive advantage won't be a new application or some shiny machine. It'll be something far quieter. You will either win or lose depending upon how effectively you connect the abilities of others into your operation. We’re not talking about traditional "outsourcing." We’re talking about creating a customized studio for your brand.

The Coming Years' Strongest Companies Will Feel Larger Than Ever

They will remain lean in terms of payroll and assets. They will, however, move like a larger organization. What makes the difference will be the network of specialized partners behind them.

Your Suppliers - The Future Of Your Extended Team

Currently, you most likely have a folder labeled "Suppliers." You send them a brief. They respond with a quote. Case closed. This model is rapidly becoming outdated.

The forward-thinking suppliers are establishing deeper connections in your world. They integrate themselves into your ordering processes. They learn about your branding guidelines. They understand your annual cycles. Over time, they will cease to be viewed as vendors and begin to be seen as an additional department that exists outside of your walls.

Imagine a logistics partner that sees your entire active sales pipeline at one time; they will see when there is going to be a "spike" before you call them. Or, imagine a creative partner who can identify a decrease in customer responses and propose a new solution before you begin to feel the negative effects of the decrease. The services you purchase will not just be services for hire. They will be a hired brain that has learned about your business.

Your Business As A Collection Of Studios

Visualize your company, not as a solitary structure, but as a collection of individual studios, each working toward your brand. Your primary group determines the overall direction of the company. Surrounding them are specialized partners executing at a very high level.

A design studio that comprehends your target audience. A production studio that addresses everything from blanks to Custom DTF Transfers. A fulfillment studio that delivers quickly and is aware of your packaging requirements.

To your customers, it appears as though you developed all of these internal capabilities. Internally, you are orchestrating studios, each of which focuses on its respective craft on a daily basis. This is the direction in which small and medium-sized businesses will develop in the coming years, if they wish to grow without becoming overwhelmed by excessive overhead costs.

What The Upcoming Years Will Feel Like On The Ground

On the ground, this transition will not be felt as abstract. It will change the manner in which you experience your weeks. You will see more shared dashboards rather than isolated email conversations. You and your partners will view the same data in real-time. Turnaround will increase due to the fact that none of your partners will be speculating from outdated spreadsheets.

You will be able to test new product lines, new packaging, and new service tiers with less risk. You will utilize your partners, who are familiar with the mechanics of the various items you are testing. They will establish a pilot with you. If it performs successfully, you will scale. If it fails, you will discontinue it without going through the expense of restructuring.

They'll send you early warning signs of things. Since your partners have the ability to see trends in all of their clients' markets, when something is trending down similarly across other clients' markets, your partners will alert you. Your partners will also alert you if there is a better way to display something than what you are doing now. If used correctly, this can be an invaluable resource.

Partner Selection That Facilitates Growth

Not every supplier is prepared to collaborate at this level. Some suppliers merely desire a purchase order and a payment.

When selecting partners, pay attention to how they think. Do they inquire regarding your margins and restrictions? Or, do they only ask about quantity?

Do they provide explanations regarding what they can measure and enhance? Or, do they rely on general statements? Do they welcome shared metrics, clearly defined service levels, and frequent evaluations? Or, do they attempt to avoid specificity?

Above all else, do they have a plan? A partner that continually invests in enhanced tools and methods will help propel you forward. A partner who remains stagnant will subtly hinder you.

Commence Smaller Scale, But Commence With Intent

You don't need to revamp your entire operation in order to initiate this process. You merely require the first deliberate action. Identify a portion of your business that continuously depletes your energy. Repetitive creative tasks. Repetitive administrative tasks. Preparation for production. Shipping.

Establish the desired outcomes. Faster turnaround times. Reduced errors. Greater adaptability during surges. Develop a clear experiment with a specialized partner for a set amount of time. Clearly defined objectives. Collaborative effort. Candid evaluation at the conclusion of the trial.

Pose three questions:

• Were you able to release actual time for you or your primary personnel?

• Was quality maintained at the existing level or improved?

• Did you acquire knowledge you didn't previously possess?

If you obtain satisfactory responses, broaden the partnership. If not, you have discovered what you needed, and you can proceed.

Business Owners Who Function As Conductors Will Prevail

The future belongs to business owners who function as conductors rather than as jugglers. You don't need to be everywhere. You need to create a straightforward structure, allowing the correct partners to insert themselves into your organization and execute at their optimal capacity for your brand. If you construct this structure, the subsequent wave of transformation will appear to be momentum behind you, rather than stress on your chest.

You will still retain ownership of the vision. You will still assume the risk and the reward. However, you will no longer bear the burden of performing all of the tasks. And that is the type of improvement that can quietly modify the manner in which your business operates, without requiring a single public declaration.