Scenario: I'm in the market research stage of my startup (manufacturing), and when researching my competition I noticed one company who is able to provide similar goods to what I plan to sell at a significantly lower price than what I would be able to sell them for. This companies' low price also undercuts all of the major players in the market.
What I know so far: The company manufactures locally, and does not outsource to China. They are also a small company, so their ability to undercut the market (and major global brands) does not come from their companies size, efficiency, or reach.
What I want to know: How are they able to offer a product at such a low price compared to the market. One of the possible scenarios I came up with is that they are receiving a government grant (maybe for manufacturing locally?).
- Is there a way to determine whether a company has been the recipient of a state or federal grant?
- What other methods are available to someone to (legally and ethically) research their competition?
