If the odds are stacked against you, don't play by the established rules. Change your distribution, pricing, support or marketing-somehow create your own advantages. If all your competitors are headed in one direction, take a different tack and you'll have a better chance of make a name for yourself.
Say, for example, you own a dry cleaning business and you've noticed your competition is big on drive-thru service. Maybe your next move should be to de-emphasize your drive-thru window and focus on promoting your free delivery service. Investigate the relative costs involved ahead of time so that what you offer really is affordable. But chances are the extra business you generate will more than cover your costs.
Excerpted from 303 Marketing Tips Guaranteed to Boost Your Business