23A-Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

1. Organization-I am very organized when it comes to any type of work I am doing. I even help the CEO of my current company keep track of specific records.
-Valuable: This is extremely valuable as I will need to be able to keep track of projects, invoices, and any other important information that needs to be filed for the business.
-Rare: This is not rare. Many people are organized or they hire a assistant to help them keep track of things. My advantage is that I will not have to pay a assistant and still be able to do this task.
-Inimitable: This could be copied but not everyone has the skills or abilities to stay organized the same way. So yes, someone could do this but would they be able to do it with the skillfulness I have.
-Non substitutable: As I mentioned earlier I could hire a assistant to help with this. They would be helpful 
but that would cut into my costs and in the beginning I could not afford that.

2. Lack of competition-After doing some research in my market I have found that building access 
ramps is not as big of a business as I first thought. This makes it much easier for me to compete.
-Valuable: This is very valuable because it gives me a chance to find work. When the market is over 
saturated with companies you are likely set up to fail. 
-Rare: This is rare because a majority of industries have many competitors. The fact I was able to find
 a industry that offers the opportunity to jump right in is a great asset.
-Inimitable: Others could build these access ramps, but is there work going to be the same as mine? 
Each person has a certain way and mindset about how they conduct business and this cannot be copied.
-Non-subsitutable: Human capital could be another resource that could work here because of what I 
bring to the table. I am my own person and that cannot be copied or imitated. I bring my experience 
as well as personal drive & values to the table. 

3. Financial Advantage-I have a family connection that works at a business that carries all of the 
materials I will need in order to conduct my business. I will also receive a family discount which 
will take off a huge amount of the costs.
-Valuable: Any type of financial advantage going into a business is going to be valuable. It gives you 
a little bit of a head start in getting things off the ground.
-Rare: This can be rare because not every person in this business is going to be able to buy high 
quality materials at a low price. They may cut costs on the quality so they can keep more money 
in their pockets.
-Inimitable: I'm sure there are others out there who have connections when it comes to building 
materials. The part that sets me apart is I don't have to go to a supplier and open up a contractor 
account. In the beginning of the business I do not want to have to buy in bulk so my connection 
will allow me to get what I need without having to worry about the amount of materials.
-Non-subsitutable: Human capital could be used in this as well due to the fact that I have this specific 
connection through my own personal bond with my brother-in-law.

4. Public speaking-I took a course on public speaking which allowed me to see the type of ability 
I had doing this. After gaining this type of confidence I began speaking in front of my church as 
well as other events.
-Valuable: This is very valuable. You have to be a good speaker in order to attract clients to your 
business. If you are not able to sell them on your idea then they will lose interest or not feel that you 
are professional enough to do a quality job.
-Rare: I believe this is a rare quality. Many people today are so wired in to their phones and texting 
that many are not skilled at speaking. To be able to stand out with this type of skill is very beneficial.
-Inimitable: This can be done by others who are good speakers as well. What is going to make
 myself stand out from the others is the passion I exhibit when I speak.
-Non-subsitutable: Communication is key in any industry and in any job position. You can not take 
this away.

5. Connections-I have made over time through my career in finances many connections. Many of 
these connections are business owners from all different kind of industries. Some of these 
connections specifically deal with senior citizens and that will be very helpful to me.
-Valuable: The power of who you know and not what you know can be very big. The more people 
of influence you keep in your network the better chance you are to gain referrals and clients this way.
-Rare: I do think this is rare because a lot of people do not want to take the time to go out and 
meet new people. It can make them uncomfortable, but if you are willing to do it the success 
will pay off.
-Inimitable: This can be copied by others in networks. The difference between myself is the time 
I take into keeping these connections. I make sure that I follow up with anyone I feel can be a good 
center of influence.
-Non-subsitutable: This resource could fall under social capital as well. Due to it having to deal 
with my personal connections it falls in line with your social influence as well.

6. Advertising-I now live in Jacksonville, FL but for a brief time lived in Ocala, FL. While in 
Ocala I met a gentleman who owns his own screen printing company as well as doing personal 
advertising for companies.
-Valuable: This is very valuable because I have kept up with this gentleman and have watched his 
business grow tremendously. I helped him get set up with his banking needs and that allowed me 
to gain a strong relationship.
-Rare: It is rare to right off the bat have a connection that you can use to get your name out there. 
Whether you are using signs that you can stick in the ground to throwing a small promotional event 
where you need signage and banners.
-Inimitable: This can be copied by others who have a connection and also want to take the time 
to go out and advertise. When you are a one man band it is a little harder but that is what makes 
my work ethic stand out.
-Non-subsitutable: I don't believe other resources can take the place of advertising. It is what gets 
your name out there and helps people know what your business is about.

7. Culture-I have strong values and beliefs. I take these with me wherever I go and with whatever 
I choose to do. Even being a one person business I want my values to show through which creates 
a positive culture.
-Valuable: Of course this is valuable. The better the reputation you have the more people are 
going to trust you. Culture is what makes people want to use your company verses the other guy.
-Rare: Culture is in every business but good culture is not so common. When a positive culture 
is taking place it shows.
-Inimitable: Good culture with strong values and beliefs can be copied. I think it is how you express 
these that makes you stand out.
-Non-subsitutable: Human capital can be used as another resource because culture is built by what 
you can bring to the table and the type of environment you want surrounding your business.

8. Work ethic-Since I was 16 and started my first job my parents taught me the value of a job and 
what it means to work hard and not take short cuts. This has stuck with me since.
-Valuable: If you do not have a hard work ethic I do not believe you can succeed in any type of 
business. This trait is extremely valuable and one that each person should strive to gain.
-Rare: As time goes on this seems to be more and more rare. It seems that many people who 
own companies are only out to make a profit and use as little effort as possible.
-Inimitable: This can be copied but each work ethic is different. What I've learned over time is not 
what the next person learned. I know that the type of hard work I put into any job or daily activity 
cannot be copied.
-Non-subsitutable: Hard work cannot be substituted for anything. You either have this mindset or 
you do not.

9. Sales-When I entered finance I learned how to become a good salesman. I've seen the opportunities 
in knowing how to close a deal brings a long.
-Valuable: This is so valuable because being good at selling allows you to connect with clients and 
show them the value in what they are purchasing.
-Rare: This is rare. Many people do not know how to sale or if they try they do not point out the 
value or the reasons why their product is worth buying.
-Inimitable: Sales can be copied. There are tactics that one or more people can learn. It is about 
how you go about presenting yourself that ends up making you successful and unique in this.
-Non-subsitutable: The art of sales cannot be copied. This is a resource that stands alone. It may be 
a characteristic a person holds but nothing else can provide its' benefits.

10. Adaptability- In any business especially one you create you have to be able to adapt to 
changes and learn to evolve around your client base.
-Valuable: Change is going to happen and when you first start your business to within a couple 
of months you may see things shift frequently. The more able you are to adapt to this and make 
the necessary changes will keep you moving forward and being successful.
-Rare: This is rare. Many people freeze up when change happens. They do not know how to adapt 
and are left trying their old ways. They realize these ways are not working and they become stagnant. 
-Inimitable: Adaptability can be copied but the levels of it cannot. Different people all have 
certain ways they deal with change. The way I deal with it is by thinking quickly and making sure 
that the changes I make are necessary in order to keep my business running smoothly.
-Non-subitutable- No resource can benefit someone the way being able to adapt does. As some of 
the other resources I mentioned, adaptability is one of those ones you either have inside of yourself 
or do not. 

It is really hard after doing the VRIN analysis to pick one of these resources over the other. I feel they 
all play a giant role in the way I want my business to be perceived and how I want it to function. If I 
did have to pick one I would choose work ethic. Work ethic is going to allow all of these resources to 
come together. If I were to get lazy then I would not be making sales, I would not care about adapting, 
culture would not matter, I would have no drive to advertise, connections would not make a difference 
because I would have no drive to make my work quality, and I would not be organized as a person 
which would ultimately cause my business to go under.