--- title: Create a True Competitive Advantage to Grow description: Create a True Competitive Advantage to Grow image: https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/hs-fs/file-616526862-jpg/img/banner-blog.jpg --- - [Blogs - Strategic Transformation](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/blogs-strategic-transformation) # Create a True Competitive Advantage to Grow ![](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/hs-fs/file-616526862-jpg/img/banner-blog.jpg) - June 15, 2012 [ John Case ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/author/john-case) In the past few years, cost cutting has been at the forefront of many company’s priorities. Whether in the form of cutting employees, outsourcing, reducing marketing expenses or a myriad of other options, reducing costs has been the de facto strategy for a lot of companies. Those same companies now are faced with the reality that cost-cutting your way to success is a very slippery path, most times leading to a dead-end. As a result, many of those same companies are now seeking ways to generate real top-line growth, now that they have created a streamlined cost structure. The first question they need to honestly answer is….”what is our competitive advantage?”   What is it about our company that we do better than any one of our competitors? Or put in another way, why do our customers choose us over our competitors?   More often than not, the answer is “I don’t know”. That may sound like an exaggeration, but its not. The fact is, during all that cost cutting activity, the investments into what made your company unique, your competitive advantage, may have gone away. In order to grow, you need to either 1.recreate what you had as that competitive advantage, or, 2.decide what your new competitive advantage will and make the investments necessary to bring it to reality. This is often referred to as “pick it and be it.”   Understanding your true competitive advantage, and crystalizing it with everyone in your company, leads to a key criteria for decision making on a daily basis. Does a planned investment reinforce your competitive advantage? Does a new product help reinforce your competitive advantage? Does a new hire help reinforce your competitive advantage?   If you fall into the group that really doesn’t have an answer, don’t panic. Its not to late….yet.   When it comes to competitive advantage, “pick it…be it…and grow.” Blog Post ## Related Articles Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. [![Image of a building with a sign on the roof STOP ESG and what you can do](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/hubfs/1793882585_office%20building%20with%20protestors%20in%20front%20holding%20u_xl-beta-v2-2-2.png) ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/the-backlash-on-esg-and-what-you-can-do) [Decision Making](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/decision-making), [Blogs - Decision Making](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/blogs-decision-making), [Blogs - Strategic Transformation](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/blogs-strategic-transformation), [Articles and Insights - Decision Making](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/articles-and-insights-decision-making), [strategic planning](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/strategic-planning), [Globalization](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/globalization), [Making Big Decisions Better](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/making-big-decisions-better), [Strategy](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/strategy), [CEO](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/ceo), [Sustainablegrowth](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/sustainablegrowth), [Sustainability](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/sustainability), [Value creation](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/value-creation), [Corporate Governance](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/corporate-governance) ### [ The Backlash on ESG and What You can do ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/the-backlash-on-esg-and-what-you-can-do) March 30, 2023 The Backlash on ESG has arrived Turn on the television, open a newspaper, and browse online and you will notice a... [ Read more ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/the-backlash-on-esg-and-what-you-can-do) [![Picture of the author Scott Newton and guest Anastasia Kuskova on Using Machine Learning for Bold Growth](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/hubfs/LinkedIn-Event-Horizontal-1.jpg) ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/using-ai-to-solve-the-toughest-challenges-in-sustainability) [Decision Making](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/decision-making), [Articles and Insights - Strategic Transformation](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/articles-and-insights-strategic-transformation), [success](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/success), [Data](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/data), [Competitive Advantage](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/competitive-advantage), [Strategy](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/strategy), [CEO](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/ceo) ### [ Using AI to solve the toughest challenges in Sustainability ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/using-ai-to-solve-the-toughest-challenges-in-sustainability) February 16, 2024 MINING: 40 million direct employees representing 1% of the total world's workforce [ Read more ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/using-ai-to-solve-the-toughest-challenges-in-sustainability) [![Agenda for why tokenize sweat equity- new roads to accelerate scaleups July 29 2021](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/hubfs/66A38E3F-9187-439D-A87D-9CB26916E46C_1_105_c-jpeg.jpeg) ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/managing-partner-scott-newton-to-speak-on-equity-tokenization) [Blogs - Strategic Transformation](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/blogs-strategic-transformation), [Articles and Insights - Strategic Transformation](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/articles-and-insights-strategic-transformation), [Strategy](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/strategy), [CEO](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/ceo), [competition](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/competition), [Digital Transformation](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/digital-transformation), [Scale Up](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/topic/scale-up) ### [ Managing Partner Scott Newton to Speak on Equity Tokenization ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/managing-partner-scott-newton-to-speak-on-equity-tokenization) July 27, 2021 How are you thinking about the future of Venture Capital? VC is growing, and the increasing opportunities for your... [ Read more ](https://www.thinkingdimensions.com/blog/strategy/managing-partner-scott-newton-to-speak-on-equity-tokenization) Check all articles Blog Post CTA ### H2 Heading Module Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. GET STARTED Subscribe for ### Our Blog Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. ![](https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/871691188/?guid=ON&script=0)