From a web presence / marketing perspective, it'll take you a while to be a true competitor. That's not to say that you can't make some strong headway, just don't think that you'll get top search engine rankings for the most highly competitive phrases within the first year or two.

However, with the right online marketing campaign and a strong budget you can make a lot of good headway. You can outsmart your competition and make progress in areas that they are not focused to work your way into becoming a player.