How to Identify Your Competition (And Dominate Locally in Phoenix)

Phoenix Is Full of Competitors - But Which Ones Actually Matter?

You hear “know your competition” all the time. But how do you actually figure out who they are - especially in a crowded, hyper-local market like Phoenix?

Too many small business owners guess. Or worse, they try to copy whoever shows up first on Google.

Here’s a better way: A step-by-step framework, a real case study from Asana, and a local playbook you can use right now.

What “Identifying Competition” Actually Means

It’s not just who sells the same thing. True competition includes anyone solving the same customer problem - even in a different way.

Here are the three categories:

• Direct competitors – Same product/service, same customer Ex: Two local HVAC companies targeting homeowners in Chandler

• Indirect competitors – Different offering, same need Ex: A handyman doing AC tune-ups vs. a licensed HVAC business

• Substitute competitors – Alternatives customers might try instead Ex: DIY YouTube videos or a neighbor with tools

If you want to win locally, you need clarity on all three.

Real-World Example: How Asana Identified Their Competitors (and Beat Them)

Asana - the popular work management platform - could’ve made the mistake many startups make: only looking at their direct rivals like Trello, Monday, or Basecamp.

Instead, they broadened their lens and identified their true competition:

• Email chains

• Spreadsheets

• Whiteboards

• Status meetings

These weren't just tools - they were habits.

So Asana built their product and messaging to address pain points those substitutes created:

• Lost tasks in email? Asana gives visibility.

• No accountability in spreadsheets? Asana assigns ownership.

• Meetings running long? Asana shows real-time progress.

They didn’t try to out-market the competition. They just made switching from those tools feel like relief - not disruption.

That’s the key: Asana won by understanding what their audience was actually using and struggling with - and then out-serving it.

Read the Asana competitive analysis framework here: https://asana.com/resources/competitive-analysis-example

How Phoenix Small Businesses Can Do the Same

You don’t need a strategy team or expensive market research. You just need a simple, street-smart process:

1. List your neighborhood competitors

• Google: “Phoenix + [your service]”

• Yelp, Thumbtack, Nextdoor

• Ask your last 3–5 customers: “Who else were you considering?”

  
  

2. Gather public signals about them

• Google, Yelp, and Facebook reviews (pay attention to 2–3 star ratings)

• Check their website: pricing, services, positioning

• Scroll their social media: tone, response time, promotions

• Look for flyers, booths, or ads in local publications

  
  

3. Do a simple SWOT

4. Pick ONE area to dominate this quarter

• If competitors are slow to follow up → you respond within 2 hours

• If others nickel-and-dime on weekends → you build that into base pricing

• If others are “okay at everything” → you become amazing at one thing

Then amplify it. Don’t just fix it - talk about it, post about it, build your reputation around it.

Why This Works in Phoenix

• Local customers notice practical annoyances

• Small tweaks create big trust

• No huge budget required — just awareness and follow-through

If you’re in a crowded space (and you probably are), you don’t win by shouting louder. You win by showing up where your competitors don’t.

Final Takeaway

Asana didn’t win by outspending. They won by out-understanding.

And Phoenix business owners don’t need to be the loudest or the biggest. They just need to be the clearest, the fastest, and the most intentional.

Start by really knowing who you’re up against. Then pick one thing you can do better - and let your customers feel the difference.

That’s how local leadership is built. One competitor-aware, customer-centered move at a time.