Dis-encouraging other businesses

**myfayt** · 01-23-2010 10:38 PM

Anyone know how to dis-courage a person or business from copying you? I am about to launch a new business and there is none like it in the area, closest is about 90 miles away.

In the city I live in, it will quickly become a very fast growing business and estimate 50 members in the first month.

Even tho almost all of you aren't in my area, I don't want to say what it is, until all the paperwork is finished and licenses are completed. That way my business name is secure and I can start getting the full market for the area.

But my question is, in general. If you start a unique business, and it's the perfect idea, and is successful. How do you prevent and dis-courage a person or business to steal your ideas and start their own becoming competition? My only idea is to quickly grab as much as the market as possible and become #1 in the state. I am hoping that will make people think that there is nothing left and it won't be worth it.

**cg410** · 01-23-2010 11:33 PM

You're worrying about the wrong thing. Worry about making your business so good that everyone else really does want to copy, and then enjoy the benefits of entrant's advantage.

**cg410** · 01-23-2010 11:34 PM

...and I don't mean to be a wise-ass and ignore the question, but soooo many people spend so much time worrying about NDAs, copyrights, trademarks, etc., that if they had put all the time they spent on "protecting themselves" onto their product they might have actually been successful.

**Fanatik** · 01-24-2010 12:19 AM

I agree. Anyone can copy if they really want to. You can only do so much. As an entrepreneur, we all think our ideas are the best - and the fact is, if they are -- then people will copy. Guard your intricate business workings closely, but the fact is... if you build it - they will copy.

**mtnjkwe** · 01-24-2010 05:52 AM

Businesses seek to make things better for the consumers. But if you make sure you constantly satisfy them you wouldnt have to worry about competitors!

**bizdev** · 01-24-2010 09:13 AM

Competition is the name of the game. As others already stated, stop worrying and focus on getting the business built and launched. You will find that you will have more than enough other things to worry about along the way. If you create a business worthy of copying that is a good thing, not a bad thing.

**myfayt** · 01-24-2010 09:45 AM

I understand what you all mean, however how is it a good thing? If they want to copy it means I have a good business. However if one or two pop up in town as competitors how does that help me?

**mtnjkwe** · 01-24-2010 09:59 AM

If they pop-up then it means theyve seen a flaw in your company which they believe they can improve on and hence steal your market share.
Competition arises from the fact that person A believes he/she can do something better than Person B . But with and ever developing person B, the will be no room for person A to compete.

**myfayt** · 01-24-2010 10:36 AM

So basically as long as all of my bases are covered, I will most likely be successful.

**bizdev** · 01-24-2010 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by myfayt

I understand what you all mean, however how is it a good thing? If they want to copy it means I have a good business. However if one or two pop up in town as competitors how does that help me?

It helps you stay on your toes and make sure you continue to satisfy your customers so they don't leave you for the competition.

It also validates your business and shows your community your industry is either up and coming or so necessary that others are trying to ride your wave.

**myfayt** · 01-24-2010 11:05 AM

Thank you all for the help.

**bizdev** · 01-24-2010 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by myfayt

So basically as long as all of my bases are covered, I will most likely be successful.

Ah well, that is a whole other topic. You can work your a** off and throw hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars into it and still not be successful. To some extent it's still a crap shoot.

**mtnjkwe** · 01-24-2010 11:30 AM

So basically as long as all of my bases are covered, I will most likely be successful.

You will most likely be succesful in repelling competition.

**bestill** · 01-24-2010 01:32 PM

People are going to try and copy you...it is inevitable. Number 1, it's a compliment. Number 2, no copied business will ever be yours. By this I mean, you have your own ideas. You can do whatever you want with it. You have the original vision. You know what you want. Someone who stole it knows nothing. You will always have the advantage. If another business pops up in town, you already have the market. Keep up with your customers and stay on top.

**Fanatik** · 01-26-2010 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by bestill

People are going to try and copy you...it is inevitable. Number 1, it's a compliment. Number 2, no copied business will ever be yours. By this I mean, you have your own ideas. You can do whatever you want with it. You have the original vision. You know what you want. Someone who stole it knows nothing. You will always have the advantage. If another business pops up in town, you already have the market. Keep up with your customers and stay on top.

Okay, I certainly disagree here. You won't always have the advantage. Google came after Yahoo - and you'd still say Yahoo has the advantage? No. Fact is, you have to stay on top, and that's the challenge. You do it better than someone else, and you're going to be okay.