What steps can a company take to overcome unofficial barriers to market entry?

By unofficial, I am assuming that you mean in lieu of government or administrative restrictions. In his book titled, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Michael Porter identified six major sources of barriers to market entry. They are: * Economies of Scale/Monopolies * Product Differentiation * Capital Requirements * Switching Costs (Existing Customer Loyalty) * Access to Distribution Channels * Government Policy (this being the official barrier) It is important to keep in mind that barriers to entry usually change over time and often decline as an industry matures. Regardless, here are some ways a company can overcome barriers to entry: * Conducting sufficient market research to determine existing competition, if there is a market need and if the market will view a product or service favorably. * Forming strategic alliances or a partnership with an existing company that is serving the intended market. * Providing a product or service that is in high demand or meeting an unmet market need (differentiating a product or service). * Obtaining and SUSTAINING market share. * Protecting intellectual property (three kinds of intellectual property rights exist: copyright, patents and trademarks. * Attracting sufficient capital to enter a market.