I recently picked up an ‘Inc. Magazine‘ and found myself pretty ferociously furrowing my brow over the title of one of the articles: “How to Spy on Your Rivals.”  I am fully aware that this is a common practice and that this is not the first piece written on the subject.

However, I immediately thought, “what could you possibly gain from this that won’t actually and eventually start to bring you down?”  

Will it give you insight to how your competitors are hooking new customers?  Maybe.

Will it help you understand your competitors’ business model?  Maybe.

Will you get new ideas from this?  Maybe.

… BUT WHY RISK YOUR AUTHENTICITY?

In my opinion, spying on your competitors will make you stagnant. Now you’ve gotten yourself into a predicament where you are running someone else’s business and ideas rather than your own. You’ve instantly negated the reason you started your business.  Don’t be another person/business doing the same thing in a *slightly* different way.  Instead, look outward to your community:

What are your most asked questions when you get calls?  Do that.

What are you getting calls about that you can’t help with and don’t have a referral for?  Start that.

What are the services that your customers mention over and over?  Perfect that.

Being in business is not about copying someone else’s vision, it is about perfecting yours.  When you do that, when you meet the needs and asks of your community, you have a real purpose, a real use in your community, a use that they will keep coming back for over and over, creating a demand for YOUR service/ business/ product.

So, for me… Should you spy on your rivals?  Absolutely not… not at least until you are 100% ready to take it with a grain of salt and leave all the information where you found it and not get it entangled with your vision.  It may seem like it has its perks, and it is ever-so-tempting to do, but all you will accomplish is de-railing your own authenticity and ideas and jade your own creative process.

So, what do you do instead when you need a fresh perspective and new ideas?

Re-think your strategy and:

• Hire a new fresh, team-member.
• Contact an upbeat business consultant (ehem… Hatched Consulting).
• Get away, even for just a day.  Thinking from outside the box, rather than from inside, will always give you a fresh perspective on things.  What do you find yourself thinking about?  Where are the snags?  What are the real roadblocks here?
• Imagine your business in 5 years, like, do it… actually imagine it.  What need are you fulfilling on your current path and does it align with the business/products/services/brand you want to have in 5 years?  Does your community view you how you want to be viewed?  What changes need to be made to get back into that alignment?  Do that, all of that.  Getting back in alignment will give you and your business new purpose and growth.

Contact Kim to start today!