Strategies for competitive advantage in small construction businesses

Small and medium enterprises' failure to maintain competitive advantage has the potential for adverse business outcomes. Small business owners are concerned with failure to maintain a competitive advantage, as 50% of SMEs do not survive for a full 5 years. Grounded in the strategic planning process framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small construction business owners use to gain a competitive advantage. The participants were nine small construction business owners in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who implemented successful strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Data were collected using semi structured interviews and a review of company documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) strategies to gain competitive advantage, (b) measuring business strategy effectiveness, (c) barriers to implementing strategies, and (d) modifying strategies to maintain competitive advantage. A key recommendation is for small construction business owners to understand their competition and customer needs to improve services and business strategy development. The implications for positive social change include the potential to benefit local communities by creating more jobs, decreasing unemployment, and enabling citizens to provide for themselves and their families.