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Hahaha. That is true. One of my favorite ways of getting used to this is thinking of my biggest competitors as friends (or trying to). I would say "keep your e

Hahaha. That is true. One of my favorite ways of getting used to this is thinking of my biggest competitors as friends (or trying to). I would say "keep your enemies closer" but I really don't think of them as enemies. On the advice of my business coach I usually call my competitors to chat every once in a while and I think we mutually realize that we're just trying our best not to go obsolete. We also need each other's help from time to time. And we usually don't have quite the same business interests, so this naturally makes our businesses each appeal to a slightly different type of client. When a new competitor shows up, they are usually inexperienced and either won't last long or will end up joining our club of friends. That's just how it works. (Small business owner)

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exelius 12y ago
Yeah, most small businesses are impacted far more by overall market forces than they are by local competition. Even at large corporations in big industries though, individuals talk across companies. A lot. I've heard of major product launches from major companies in a fiercely competitive market because one CEO had lunch with another CEO and they shared their plans with each other. It's usually in the context of "This is what we're doing and we think we can beat you." At the end of the day, even CEOs of large companies are only hired guns. They may be in a position later on down the road where they need a senior executive to run a charitable foundation, be a board member on a company they invest in, or to take the reins of their company when they retire. Always remember that there is the person and the role. The role gives them power, but the person is more valuable.
jacques_chester 12y ago
> When a new competitor shows up, they are usually inexperienced and either won't last long or will end up joining our club of friends. That's just how it works. Not that I am a lawyer, but depending on your jurisdiction, you will need to be careful about what topics you can and cannot discuss. Antitrust and consumer protection laws can bite you if you stray into the wrong subject.
- themodelplumber 12y ago
  Yes, I've been aware of this since reading the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook in 1996. The number and type of things you cannot discuss (at least where I live) is very limited, and tend to be contingent upon (or take fruit in) specific market conditions that simply don't apply most of the time in my field.

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exelius 12y ago

Yeah, most small businesses are impacted far more by overall market forces than they are by local competition. Even at large corporations in big industries though, individuals talk across companies. A lot. I've heard of major product launches from major companies in a fiercely competitive market because one CEO had lunch with another CEO and they shared their plans with each other. It's usually in the context of "This is what we're doing and we think we can beat you." At the end of the day, even CEOs of large companies are only hired guns. They may be in a position later on down the road where they need a senior executive to run a charitable foundation, be a board member on a company they invest in, or to take the reins of their company when they retire. Always remember that there is the person and the role. The role gives them power, but the person is more valuable.

jacques_chester 12y ago

> When a new competitor shows up, they are usually inexperienced and either won't last long or will end up joining our club of friends. That's just how it works. Not that I am a lawyer, but depending on your jurisdiction, you will need to be careful about what topics you can and cannot discuss. Antitrust and consumer protection laws can bite you if you stray into the wrong subject.

themodelplumber 12y ago
Yes, I've been aware of this since reading the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook in 1996. The number and type of things you cannot discuss (at least where I live) is very limited, and tend to be contingent upon (or take fruit in) specific market conditions that simply don't apply most of the time in my field.