When everyone sells the same thing, most owners compete on price. The smart ones compete on transformation.

If you're running a business where your product or service looks identical to your competitors', you've probably been told your company isn't worth much. "It's commoditised," they say. "No competitive advantage." "Race to the bottom on pricing."

Here's what they're missing: the most valuable businesses aren't built on what they sell—they're built on how they transform their customers' lives.

After analysing over 80,000 business valuations through the Value Builder methodology, the data tells a clear story. The average small business sells for 3.9 times pre-tax profit. But companies with genuine differentiation? They command 25% higher multiples and are 40% more likely to receive acquisition offers in the first place.
That premium isn't reserved for tech unicorns or patent-heavy manufacturers. Some of the most impressive transformations happen in the most mundane industries.

The Wire That Wasn't Just Wire

Rich Galgano built Windy City Wire selling something as commoditised as it gets: copper wire. Same material as everyone else. Same specifications. Same basic function.
But Galgano understood something his competitors missed: customers don't buy products—they buy outcomes.
His first breakthrough was embarrassingly simple. Whilst high-voltage wire had been colour-coded for decades, no one had bothered applying the same logic to low-voltage applications. Galgano introduced colour-coded insulation that made installations faster and virtually eliminated costly wiring errors.
The copper hadn't changed. The transformation for his customers was profound.
Electricians could work faster. Mistakes plummeted. Job sites became more efficient. What looked like a minor product tweak was actually a fundamental shift in how contractors experienced their work.

Innovation in the Mundane

Galgano's second transformation was even more telling. Traditional wire spools were clunky, prone to tangling, and slowed down every installation. He developed a patented packaging system that let contractors pull wire cleanly and consistently.
Again, the wire was identical. The experience was revolutionary.

Over 32 consecutive years of EBITDA growth later, Windy City Wire sold for just under £400 million to a strategic acquirer. Not because they'd invented better copper, but because they'd transformed how an entire industry worked.

The Transformation Mindset

Here's what separates premium exits from fire sales: owners who focus on customer transformation, not product features.
If your business feels commoditised, you're asking the wrong questions. Instead of "How can I make my product different?", ask:

• What friction do my customers tolerate that I could eliminate?
• Where do they waste time that I could save?
• What mistakes do they make that I could prevent?
• How could I make their success more predictable?

The answers to these questions aren't found in your product development lab. They're found in honest conversations with the customers who depend on you most.

Beyond the Product

This isn't about incremental improvements or clever marketing. It's about fundamentally reimagining your role in your customers' success.

When you solve real problems, the ones that cost your customers time, money, or peace of mind—you stop being a vendor and become a partner. Partners command premium pricing. Partners get renewed automatically. Partners get recommended without being asked.

And when it comes time to exit, partners get acquisition offers that reflect the value they've created, not just the products they've sold.

The Reality Check

Most business owners trapped in commoditised markets are there by choice. They've accepted that their industry is "just different" or that "customers only care about price."

The data suggests otherwise. In every sector, there are businesses commanding premium multiples because they've chosen to transform rather than transact.

The question isn't whether your industry allows for differentiation. The question is whether you're willing to do the work to create it.

Because here's what I've learned working with owner-managed businesses across the maritime sector and beyond: the most valuable companies aren't built on what they make—they're built on what they make possible.

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The Value Builder methodology has helped over 80,000 owners understand their company's true potential. It's not about the tools—it's about the transformation.