The Lazy Competitor Advantage

Why doing the basics well can quietly make you #1

Author

Ausra Prasauskaite
August 11, 2025

If you’ve been thinking about learning Instagram, skip the dusty, outdated courses.

I joined InstaClubHub — and if you’re on a budget, even 1–2 months is enough to binge all the trainings and see results. That’s exactly what I did.

Created by Brock & Chalene Johnson (who’ve built 7- and 8-figure businesses on Instagram), you get up-to-date lessons, templates, algorithm updates, and live Q&As that actually keep pace with the platform.

It’s the fastest way I’ve found to go from “unsure what to post” to “confident and growing.”

I always feel sorry for entrepreneurs who are putting in the hours, risking their money, losing sleep — trying to grow their business —
 only to be quietly sabotaged by their own team.

The founder has a vision of excellence in their head.


But the person answering the phone, replying to the email, or handling the client?
They’re not delivering anywhere near that standard. And it’s killing the business.

Real story:


I recently spoke to a staffing company that promises to dispatch temporary workers within four hours of receiving a request.


Sounds good.

Except…
 I’ve followed up three times over six weeks and still don’t have a quote.


Six weeks. For a quote.

Real story, I’m not making this up.


And I bet you have your own version of this story —
where you needed a service, reached out, and it was like the business didn’t even want your money.

Here’s the thing:

The world is saturated with products and services.
 Competition is everywhere.


But a lot of that competition? It’s lazy. They overpromise. They underdeliver.


They care more about chasing the next customer than actually serving the ones they have.


They think marketing is the job — and the actual work is an afterthought.

Which is why you can win. If you do the basics consistently well, you can quietly take over market share without spending a cent more on ads or funnels.

What this looks like in practice:

  1. Answer quickly.


    Speed is a competitive advantage.
Even if you can’t solve the problem right away, reply to acknowledge you’ve received it. Remember you can set up an auto-reply, but make it look human.

  2. Deliver on what you promise.

    
If you say “within four hours,” make it four hours. Not four days.
Build processes so your team can deliver without you micromanaging.

  3. Follow up like you care.


    Most people don’t. This is where you stand out.
Check in after delivery. Ask if they need help with anything else. Once you know the customer is happy, ask for a review/referral.

  4. Train your team to think like you.


    If your team isn’t aligned with your standards, they’re damaging your reputation every day.
Write down what “good” looks like and make it non-negotiable. Do undercover checks to see how they actually work - a little bit like retail stores use “secret shoppers” to check on how their sales assistants are working.

  5. Value repeat business over new business.


    Don’t treat existing customers like they’re already “done.”
Make them feel like they’re still your best lead.

The mental shift:

You’re not just competing with other offers.


You’re competing with low expectations. If you can consistently beat those expectations — by showing up, caring, and actually doing the job —
 you’ll stand out more than any branding refresh or viral post could ever give you.

So next time you feel discouraged because the market is crowded, remember:


Most of that “competition” is asleep anyways.

Your opportunity?


Stay awake.

And here’s another reality check I posted about recently - I wonder if you will agree to this one?

—


Ausra


Not Stressed CEO