This store in Amsterdam only sells ducks. Of course this could never work in a small town.
The larger the town the more specialized a businesses can be. The smaller the town the more general it can be.
The generalist often becomes a specialist as the industry gets more crowded with competition.
My first real business was a fitness club that eventually turned into a chain of personal training studios. I needed two major competitors to pop up beside me to start specializing.
Being the first in your market has a downfall, it allows competitors to come by and create something bigger and better than what’s already there. But it also has an upside – it forces you to figure out what makes you shine.
Also published on Medium.