David vs Goliath isn’t just a story. Learn the exact strategies small businesses use to compete with industry giants without breaking the bank.
Welcome to this week’s edition of Let’s Talk, where our panel of experts tackle the question that keeps entrepreneurs up at night: How do you compete with bigger companies when you don’t have their resources?
In today’s conversation, our experts discuss the real-world strategies that small businesses and startups use to go head-to-head with corporate giants. From leveraging agility and personal touch to finding untapped niches and building authentic communities, our panelists share proven tactics for turning limited resources into competitive advantages. Whether you’re bootstrapping a startup or running a lean operation, this discussion reveals how to punch above your weight class.
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Aaron Bugal, Field CISO APJ at Sophos
“Small businesses should look for security tools that are simple to use, effective, and built for lean teams. When in-house capacity is stretched, 24/7 threat detection from third-party experts – delivered as a service – can ease the load. It’s a practical way to get expert-level protection without the overheads.
“Centralising your security tools also helps. Running everything through one platform cuts down on admin, avoids tool sprawl, and makes it easier to spot real issues before they escalate.
“People matter too. Regular, hands-on education gives staff the awareness to respond quickly and avoid common pitfalls. Cyber threats move fast – and so should your team.
“Cybersecurity doesn’t need to be overcomplicated or out of reach. With the right tools and support and a focus on enabling people, SMBs can build resilience and stay one step ahead – even without enterprise-level resources.”
Anthony Capano, Regional Director, APAC, Intuit Mailchimp
“Smaller businesses often have the advantage of being nimbler than their large competitors, and smart use of the tools they have at their disposal can help David outcompete Goliath.
“These businesses are typically closer to their customers, and investing more in those relationships will be a key differentiator. When it comes to growing revenue, they can use the first-party data they’ve collected to tailor messages based on the needs and habits of their audience. And the best tech tools have AI built in to ensure your business can send the right message to the right customer at the right time—without the need for more headcount.
“Make sure your data is up-to-date and accurate, and segment customers according to their behaviours. That way, their actions can trigger the right email to keep them engaged and spending—whether that’s a promo code after they’ve left something in their cart or a nudge to let them know something they were looking at is back in stock.
“Use your company’s size to your advantage and make customer interactions feel meaningful and relevant. When customers feel like every message was made for them, they are more likely to listen and convert.”
Lukas Carruthers, Head of CX for Zoom APAC
“Going up against businesses that have seemingly infinite resources and staff can be daunting. But by focusing on what really matters to customers and leveraging smart and fit-for-purpose tools to deliver, small businesses can punch above their weight.
“Recent Zoom-commissioned CX research found nailing the customer experience can snowball business success. It cements brand loyalty and drives referrals. Just under nine in ten (89%) Australian consumers said they’re more loyal to brands that have fast, effective customer service, while 83% will share positive experiences with others.
“This doesn’t have to mean employing more people or taking more time on each customer. AI agents can often handle common questions and escalate to a human agent when needed. That frees up staff to effectively support more complex enquiries. Being laser-focused on the customer and leaning on agentic AI can help small businesses compete in the big leagues.”
Zoe Goodhardt, Partner and Head of Growth and Marketing, TAG
“Small businesses often assume they can’t compete with industry giants, but that’s far from true. The secret isn’t in outspending them; it’s in out-showing them.
“Consistency online is one of the greatest levellers. Content is free. It takes time, but showing up every day across your social channels, email marketing and community spaces builds trust, awareness and loyalty – things money can’t buy overnight.
“Use your size to your advantage. You can move faster, be more authentic and speak directly to your audience. Let people see who you are and what you stand for – your story, your purpose, your personality. These are your biggest differentiators.
“And don’t underestimate the power of collaboration. Partnering with like-minded brands at a similar stage can help you pool audiences, share resources and amplify your reach. Whether it’s a co-branded giveaway, joint event or shared campaign, brand collaborations can multiply your exposure without multiplying your costs.”
Paul Findlay, Director Apac, Cloudstaff
“Competing with large companies doesn’t require matching their budget, it’s about being smarter, faster and more connected to your customers. Smaller businesses have a real advantage when it comes to agility, personalised service and the ability to adapt quickly.
“That’s where Cloudstaff comes in. By embracing ethical outsourcing/offshoring of staff, you can access skilled offshore professionals who become a seamless extension of your team, without compromising on values or quality. Cloudstaff’s transparent model ensures fair staff wages, secure systems and long-term partnerships built on trust.
“This gives your local team the freedom to focus on strategy and growth, while your offshore team handles the daily tasks efficiently and professionally. With the right support structure, smaller businesses can deliver big results, without the big-company costs.”
Rahul Tabeck, Regional Sales Director of ANZ, SolarWinds
“Smaller businesses can compete without big-company budgets by prioritising visibility, simplicity and speed. Start early. Bake in observability from the first sprint so you have enterprise-grade visibility from the outset. With a clear view of critical apps, networks and databases, you can spot issues sooner and prevent revenue-impacting outages, protecting reputation when every customer experience counts.
“Consistent workflows and clear ownership helps small teams resolve incidents quickly, matching the response discipline of larger operations teams. Automate routine work such as patching, alerting and ticket routing to multiple team capacity and free up people for customer improvements.
“Use this visibility to drive efficiency, not just uptime. Track performance metrics such as latency, error rate and saturation. This can help right-size instances, retire idle resources, scale to zero when possible and prioritise fixes that cut both costs and response times. The same telemetry becomes decision data for tuning slow queries, scheduling maintenance and adding capacity before customers feel it.”
MJ Robotham, Director APAC, NinjaOne
“Big IT teams can spread the work across multiple people, but small IT teams don’t have that luxury. Often, it can be one person juggling cybersecurity, hardware updates, AI, strategy, and day-to-day troubleshooting tasks. It’s easy to see how teams get stretched, security gaps appear, and urgent problems take over.
“For SMBs, it’s about finding ways do more with less. Platforms that automate endpoint management, warranty tracking, and patching, for example, can free up IT workers’ time. These automated tools give IT teams space to focus on the bigger picture like digital transformation, long-term strategy, and projects that move their organisations forward, rather than getting caught up in constant firefighting.
“IT isn’t about having every tool under the sun. It’s about creating the right environment and support for your team that compliments the businesses’ needs.”
Paul North, General Manager for Asia Pacific, UserTesting
“Small businesses don’t need deep pockets to stand out, they need a clear understanding of their customers. The ability to see how people engage with a brand and its competitors, then translate those insights into action, creates a competitive edge.
“Success today is defined not by scale, but by the speed at which brands learn, adapt, and act. Technology has levelled the playing field, giving businesses of all sizes access to human insight without the need for enterprise-scale resources. By staying close to real customers, smaller businesses can test ideas early, identify gaps in expectations, and make confident, evidence-based decisions.
“Understanding how people think, feel, and decide, reveals opportunities that numerical data alone cannot. The brands that translate human insight into action will design experiences that resonate, and ultimately win, regardless of size.”
Grant Austin, CEO at pay.com.au
“The real competitive battlefield between smaller and larger companies is smart financial agility, starting with cash flow. It’s a persistent challenge: nearly 80% of Australian SMBs struggled with cash flow issues last year, according to CommBank research. When revenue slows, the solution isn’t just cost-cutting, but making every dollar work harder.
“By partnering with the right financial providers, like pay.com.au, small business owners gain the flexibility to pay suppliers who traditionally only accept bank transfers using a business credit card instead. This simple, yet powerful, shift provides essential float days – a critical window of extra time to manage inventory, fulfill customer orders, or cover immediate operational costs before the credit card payment is due.
“Through pay.com.au, small businesses can also earn rewards on every transaction, turning everyday operating costs like rental payments or ATO expenses into strategic financial benefits, such as travel points or cashback. Utilising innovative payment solutions to optimise cash flow ensures Aussie small businesses are no longer forced to compete on size alone. They compete on agility, resilience, and operational intelligence, effectively challenging the big guys without needing their massive resources.”
Hilary Saxton, Director, Property Mastermind
“The key to competing with bigger companies isn’t to try and outmuscle them. In my world of property development, the multinational corporations have deep pockets, but they’re slow and bloated with bureaucracy. The most successful smaller developers, everyday Australian investors, win because they’re lean, agile, and fiercely meticulous.
“They don’t compete on scale; they compete on smarts. Instead of trying to do everything, they focus on finding and exploiting niche opportunities that the big players overlook. They know that a relentless focus on process is their greatest asset. While the big guys cut corners to speed up a project, smaller developers who meticulously follow every single step – from due diligence to financial feasibility – are the ones who succeed and protect their bottom line.
“This isn’t just a lesson for property. It’s a blueprint for every small business. Your size is your strength. You can move faster, be more personal, and pivot when the market shifts. Don’t be a victim of your own size; make it your competitive advantage by mastering your process and never, ever skipping a step. The real profit is in the details, not the shortcuts.”
Renée Chaplin, VP – Asia Pacific, Constant Contact
“Larger companies generally have deeper pockets than small ones – economies of scale allow them to, say, hire a CMO or have a fancy marketing agency on retainer. However, what small businesses lack in resources they often make up for in agility, authenticity, and community engagement.
“Personalised service remains a key differentiator. While large companies automate and outsource, small businesses can offer tailored, human-centred experiences that build loyalty.
“Leveraging digital tools – many of which are low-cost or free – also helps level the playing field. Social media, for example, allows even the smallest operators to reach national audiences with compelling content and storytelling.
“Moreover, Australians value local. By highlighting their connection to the community’s roots, small businesses tap into a growing consumer desire to buy local and support independent enterprises.
“Competing with big companies doesn’t have to break the bank, nor does it require emulating them. It means focusing on what makes a small business unique and turning those differences into competitive advantages.”
Nick Nigro, Vice President – Australasia, Reolink
“Competing with bigger companies starts with choosing solutions built for your business. It is important to select tools that align with how you operate, so your team can work efficiently. Although enterprise favourites can be powerful tools, the best solutions are ones that fits your needs, budget, and pace of growth best.
“Just because others in the industry are using a specific tool and seeing ROI, does not mean you can simply apply this tool to your business. Before you engage any tool, research it, define the outcome you want, and set a realistic budget.
“Retail is one example where traditional systems are often costly. Customer flow analysis is a great tool for improving staffing, layout, and conversion across many customer-facing environments, but this can be costly. At Reolink, we have developed security cameras powered by AI technology that gives small businesses access to customer flow insights using the same devices that protect the premises. This approach may not suit large retail chains, but for small businesses – it offers insights at a fraction of the cost allowing them to compete with bigger companies with bigger resources.”
Tracy Ford, Human Resources Consultant, Concept HR Services
“I believe that people are an organisation’s competitive edge. While small businesses may not have the resources of bigger companies, they can still drive growth by developing their people. You can create powerful growth opportunities for little or no cost.
- Encourage employees to learn on the job by giving them responsibility for projects that stretch their skills.
- Rotate tasks so staff gain exposure across different parts of the business.
- Use free or low cost online learning platforms to build technical and soft (human) skills.
- Pair less experienced staff with senior team members for mentoring and shadowing.
“What employees value most is not always formal training but the chance to grow, contribute, and be recognised. In a small business, you can provide direct access to decision-makers, regular feedback, and visible impact. These experiences are harder to find in larger organisations, where roles are often more limited and progress can be slow.
“By embedding development into daily work, you create an environment where people feel invested in and motivated to stay. This helps you attract and keep talent, even when you can’t compete on salary or big-company perks. The focus on learning and growth is your competitive edge.”
Emma Scoringe, CMO, JAVLN
“Running a small but mighty marketing team of two taught me something. Smaller can actually be better.
“While bigger companies are scheduling meetings about meetings, we’re already in market testing ideas. We spotted a trend on Tuesday, built a campaign Wednesday, and had initial results by Friday. Try doing that with several approval layers.
“The secret? We’ve built an AI support crew that handles the grunt work, creating social posts, drafting content, pulling together plan outlines. It’s like having a pit crew that frees us up to do what matters: staying close to what’s happening, spotting opportunities, making decisions fast.
“Speed isn’t about rushing. It’s about eliminating the speed bumps that slow everyone else down.
“Last month we used Lovable to quickly build a gamified app for staff to share their LinkedIn posts about the company. Every comment, repost, and share earned points toward team prizes. No budgets, no approvals, just rapid testing that turned employees into brand advocates.
“Turns out, the best advantage isn’t having more resources. It’s removing what slows you down and making smart use of available tools. That’s how small teams win.”
Walter Scremin, CEO, Ontime Delivery Solutions
“The most effective way to compete with bigger companies is by partnering with specialists who have the resources, knowledge, and systems to make you look good.
“For example, small to medium-sized businesses can run professional transport and logistics delivery fleets by engaging ‘permanent vehicle hire’ solutions.
“Permanent vehicle hire gives business access to vehicles, drivers, and technology by only charging for what you use. This model also provides back-up vehicles and drivers to cover for absenteeism for accidents.
“It’s a highly flexible alternative which allows any business to compete with larger rivals on delivery services.
“Permanent vehicle hire avoids the pain of establishing your own high-performing transport and logistics division, which demands enormous up-front investment, along with high ongoing fixed costs and stress.
“Instead, you can ‘insource’ your own professional team, making you more flexible and efficient.”
Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia and New Zealand
“When you run a small business, it is easy to feel dwarfed by those with deeper pockets and bigger teams. However, size alone, doesn’t determine success. Agility, authenticity and the ability to know your customers, can outpace scale when guided by smart strategy and consistent execution.
“The edge lies in connection and reliability. Big businesses spend millions to personalise experiences – small businesses can do it naturally and authentically. Every message, booking or follow-up can carry your tone, your care and your brand. When powered by the right tools, this becomes streamlined and repeatable, creating relationships that feel one-to-one even as you grow.
“Data is another equaliser. Your business doesn’t need to rely on gut feel or guesswork when technology can surface patterns and priorities in real time. It turns everyday information – appointments, payments, enquiries and feedback – into a roadmap for smarter decisions. You can see who is overdue for a service, which campaign genuinely drove conversions or when clients typically rebook, allowing you to act with precision, rather than instinct. This kind of insight helps your business stay one step ahead of your customers’ needs, anticipate demand and deliver a level of service that feels personal and proactive, not reactive.
“Ultimately, competing with bigger players starts by leaning into what makes you different – speed, focus and personal touch – and using smart digital systems to amplify those strengths. When your business works smarter, not larger, you create the momentum that drives lasting business growth.”
Peter Curran, Founder & Business Development Manager, Digital Surfer
“Back in the day when print advertising, or even radio or TV advertising, was the only real player you had, if you had big competition with huge budgets buying up all the good real estate in newspapers, magazines and prime time, it was a really hard slog. Now, we have technology that gives even the smallest of businesses a real opportunity if they’re willing to tap into them.
“Organic digital marketing is going to be your best friend when it comes to claiming your digital space, and pushing the big guys out of the picture a bit. I’m talking about your search engines and social media mainly, really channelling what budget you have into building a solid website and social media presence. Unlike ads, where you can pay for more exposure, it comes down to external parties, like Google, Meta, and the consumers, to decide who goes where. And the big guys may b e able to put more resources into creating more content or more web pages, but it doesn’t mean audiences are going to respond to them.
“In fact, what we find is that smaller businesses often find it easier to showcase their personality and there’s not as much red tape to jump on a hot topic or following a fun social trend. They also tend to get complacent and not focus on things like SEO or organic social, pumping money into ads. But where I always say to start with smaller budgets, even with huge competitors, is the website. Get that right and you’ve got a good chance of knocking the top rankers out of their seats. We see it everyday with what we do with our clients, especially for those mid-sized businesses who are doing well, but can’t quite get that step up. That’s what we do.”
Kathryn Goater, Co-CEO, Co-Founder and PR Director, Media-Wize
“Over more than 20 years in PR, I’ve seen fast-growth companies outpace their larger competitors by using the strategic power of corporate communications, aligned marketing, media relations, employee engagement and the amplification power of social media. The advantage isn’t always about budget, it’s about agility, authenticity and storytelling gems that secure coverage and evoke interest.
“Smaller and scaling businesses often have charismatic founders and leaders who are willing to share their personal journeys and lessons, helping their brand connect on a human level. They’re not constrained by complex approval layers or internal silos, which means they can uncover and elevate powerful stories within their business – the customer advocates, the innovation, the people driving change.
“These stories don’t just earn attention; they create credibility and emotional connection. Internally, their ability to build a strong culture becomes a secret weapon, teams that are galvanised by purpose naturally become brand ambassadors, amplifying excitement to customers and stakeholders alike.
“When it comes to visibility and influence, I’ve often seen David beat Goliath through pace, agility, authenticity and strategic storytelling.”
Tammi McDermott, Director & Founder, Lawnch
“Competing with larger players isn’t about matching their resources. Instead, it’s about playing to your strengths. At Lawnch, we help established businesses identify the levers that drive growth and profitability, whether that’s refining operations, optimising leadership structures or unlocking untapped market potential.
“Smaller and mid-sized businesses have an edge in agility – the ability to adapt quickly, make strategic decisions faster and stay closer to customers. By aligning vision, strategy, and execution, these businesses can create impact and scalability that rivals even the biggest competitors.
“For those looking to scale or prepare for exit, the key is building a business that’s efficient, valuable and future-ready. By engaging whole business advisory support, you can streamline, strengthen leadership alignment, and create the strategic clarity needed to accelerate sustainable growth.”
Greg Wilkes, CEO of Develop Coaching
“Competing with big firms when you’re a smaller construction company can feel like David versus Goliath. They’ve got brand power, fancy brochures, and marketing budgets that make yours look like pocket change. But size isn’t everything – it’s about strategy, speed, and service.
“Think of it like a speedboat versus a cruise ship. The big guys take months to turn; you can pivot in seconds. That agility is your weapon. While they’re buried in red tape, you can make decisions fast, personalise service, and build genuine relationships that win loyalty.
“Focus on what big companies can’t replicate: trust, responsiveness, and craftsmanship. When a client calls, answer the phone. When you quote, do it quickly and clearly. When you deliver, over-deliver. You can’t outspend the competition, but you can out-care them.”
Anastasia Geneave, Founder, No Grey Suits
“You just need to do what they can’t — be human.
“While they’re stuck in meetings about meetings and saying things like “circle back”, you can talk to your audience instead of filtering every sentence through three layers of corporate approval. You can show your face. You can tell real stories. You can make people feel something.
“Big brands trade on recognition. Small businesses trade on connection. That’s your superpower. Use it. Show up on video. Share what you care about. Respond like a real person, not a script. Make people laugh, think, or say “that’s SO me” out loud so that people around them think they’re a little odd.”
Felicity Zadro, Founder & Managing Director, Zadro
“Competing with bigger companies isn’t about outspending them – it’s about outsmarting them.
“Small and medium businesses have the agility to think creatively, move quickly, and connect authentically with their audiences.
“Building a strong brand that is grounded in genuine values will increase trust and recognition. When your brand consistently reflects who you are and what you stand for, customers choose you because you’re the one they believe in.
“Authentic storytelling, meaningful engagement, and clarity of purpose can achieve what large budgets often can’t – emotional connection.
“In today’s landscape, that’s the real competitive edge.”
Josh Ball, Co Founder of Farmers Pick
“You don’t need deep pockets to compete with the big players, you need clarity, conviction, and creativity. At Farmers Pick, we never tried to outspend. Instead, we focus on what they can’t own: fairness for farmers, affordability for families, and fighting food waste.
“The first lesson is to find your unfair advantage. Big companies can copy your product, but they can’t copy your authenticity. We built Farmers Pick around a mission to fix Australia’s broken food system, and that purpose became our superpower.
“Second, turn purpose into proof. We shared data on how much food we rescued, how much farmers earned, how much customers saved. That transparency built trust and gave people something to believe in.
“Third, lean into the national conversation. We didn’t buy attention, we earned it by speaking up on the issues Australians care about – from the supermarket inquiry and cost-of-living pressures to the challenges facing farmers and food waste. When you connect your story to what people are already talking about, your voice carries further.
“Finally, build a movement, not just a marketing campaign. When your team, customers, and community are connected to your mission, they’ll amplify it further than any media spend ever could.”
Katrina Wurm, CEO and Founder, Stress Free Super Mum
“Sometimes the tallest trees don’t cast the widest shade.
“I run Stress Free Super Mum as a solo operator, yet last year I stood shoulder to shoulder with Google, Mastercard, and other global giants as a multiple Gold Stevie® Award winner. Competing on a world stage without the backing of hundreds of staff or skyscraper offices isn’t about size, it’s about strategy.
“For me, the edge comes from two places: relentless personal development and deep client understanding. I invest in learning consistently, because sharpening my skills means I can show up stronger, smarter, and more innovative. And I take the time to truly know my clients, their fears, frustrations, dreams, and goals, so that the solutions I offer resonate at a human level, not just a transactional one.
“Bigger businesses may have resources. But smaller businesses have agility, authenticity, and the ability to create impact that feels personal. That’s where the real competitive advantage lies.”
Seamus Phan, CTO, McGallen & Bolden Pte Ltd
“Smaller businesses need to think big, act global, and continue to stay grounded to compete with large corporations. With broadband and connectivity through the Web and social media, smaller businesses can reach out to global prospects and customers.
“Since 1991, we bootstrapped our way through digitalization, from computing hardware and open-source software (OSS) to even developing our own software and platforms. Growing businesses can learn and adapt to what we did for the past 30 years by bootstrapping and adopting tools with the lowest costs if possible, such as OSS, low-code platforms, and even open-source AI platforms.
“Some popular OSS are free, and we can add features with affordable costs, including Rocket.chat for real-time communication and CRM (customer relationship management), Odoo for business management (which integrates key management functions for HR, finance, sales, and marketing), OpenCart for e-commerce, and Baserow for custom databases. There may be learning curves, but there is online documentation, and the affordability and subsequent business benefits are worth it for businesses of any size. Some OSS have known consultants and freelancers that can help businesses jumpstart OSS adoption with their field expertise and knowledge for a fee.”
Steven Richardson, Managing Director, SILQ
“Legal SAAS businesses with large resources are SILQ’s greatest competition. To combat this, our small but powerful team takes pride in tailoring our tech and communication to the needs of our customers.
“Our streamlined Customer Support team know our clients well and when customers reach out with queries, our Support team are on a first-name basis with each client. These strong relationships enable us to be highly effective at solving issues on the first try, as our people have in-depth knowledge of each client’s history.
“SILQ operates in a ‘feedback-led’ development environment where we implement new features and make software updates based on direct feedback from our clients. Our openness to feedback, coupled with our flexible month-to-month contracts, makes SILQ’s development team highly responsive to feature requests and bug fixes, which in turn leads to increased customer retention and reduced support calls.
“Finally, SILQ integrates with best-of-breed products rather than developing all the tech in-house. This allows us to bring high-quality, mature features to market more quickly and at a lower cost.
“These key strategies help SILQ to successfully retain our clients and attract new firms, enabling us to successfully compete with larger companies despite our small business profile.”
Kim Heras, CEO, Bizly
“Small businesses can’t always match big companies on budget, but they can match them on insight.
“For instance, every small business owner or operator knows the pressure of managing cash flow and the risk that comes with new customers, suppliers, or partners. Big companies face the same challenges, but they have teams of analysts and compliance staff to make sure they know exactly who they’re dealing with, and to prove they’re trustworthy partners in return.
“Now, smaller businesses can access that same level of visibility without the headcount.
“Platforms like Bizly give everybody access to free trust scores for every Australian business. For those times it’s needed, they also offer detailed trust reports – similar to traditional bureau risk reports – and ongoing monitoring, in ways that make sense to SMEs, and at prices SMEs can afford.
“What’s changing the game is that many of these tools are being built by people who’ve lived the challenges of small business themselves. They understand the need for clarity, not complexity, and that’s what’s helping SMEs compete on equal footing.”
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