What Amazon, Virgin and Google Can Teach Us About Industry Domination

Amazon started as an online book retailer, but the company has now branched into groceries and tech. Virgin was known for music, but now Richard Branson has his hands in space exploration, airlines and media. Google began as a search engine; today, it’s creating cutting-edge technology and is a frontrunner in the self-driving car race.

In today’s marketplace, omnipresence wins: the more industries you dominate, the bigger reach you have, and the more successful you’re likely to be.

But when you expand beyond your industry, how do you preserve the integrity of your brand and service offering? This is a challenge we faced when we grew from a single brand with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, to a family of four, home-service companies. Over the years, we’ve learned success boils down to one simple strategy: tackle every industry the same as the first.

The strategies and techniques we used the first time around launched 1-800-GOT-JUNK? to international success. When we added our second brand, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, we applied the same systems and they worked as well for painting as they did for junk removal. We did the same with our subsequent brands, You Move Me and Shack Shine, pivoting and adjusting when necessary to fit the new businesses. By sticking to our proven business model, each of our companies has become a leader in its respective industry.

It’s about more than just developing sound processes, though. Before you take on any new industry, you need to remind yourself what you stand for. Your mission and vision might change slightly according to each business, but your values and culture should remain a constant.

Many brands have forgotten this and have tried to grow too quickly; as a result, their culture and customer service has suffered. Starbucks expanded rapidly, opening new stores on every corner and adding hundreds of items to its menu. Instead of improving business, this diluted the brand and quality control started to crumble. Employees lashed out and profits declined, forcing the company to re-adjust its strategy.

Coffee isn’t the only market that’s become oversaturated; with new companies emerging every day, it’s a challenge to rise above the noise in any industry. In the shadow of the Amazons and Virgins of the world, you need to know how (and when) to enter new industries, despite your original area of expertise.

It’s not easy but dominating multiple industries can be in reach. If you go back to basics, remember why you started, and stay true to your values, maybe one day your brand name will be ubiquitous enough to become a verb (kudos, Google). b