If your business is like most in the online space, you’re feeling a little over-saturation in the marketplace. Small business and online entrepreneurs are HUGE these days.
As a copywriter, I know there are hundreds (thousands!) out there who call themselves the same.
I used to stress out about it. I used to stalk other copywriters to see what they were offering. I would read all their blog posts and see what they were doing on Facebook and think, “If only…”
But I took another, much healthier, approach a while back. I decided that other copywriters weren’t my competition.
Every business owner, no matter the business or the industry, has unique qualities that their so-called competition doesn’t have. They have a different style of photography. Their art medium isn’t quite like another artist’s. They have a different way to coach clients through big decisions. Their products and services are just a bit different. Maybe not much, but enough.
All of these differences make each business unique. And that means each business’s ideal audience is unique.
I’ll fess up. There’s one particular copywriter who I stalked more than others. Everyone was talking about her. All. The. Time. I was envious. I thought, “She’s totally killing it. I want to totally kill it too.”
And then I started doing virtual coffee dates with other online business owners. I took a deep breath and invited this particular copywriter to chat. It scared the crap out of me to do that, and I’m pretty sure I told her so when we got on Skype together. And she probably laughed (with me, not at me—haha!).
Once I put the word “competition” aside, I was able to really enjoy her as a person. When she gets shouted out in groups now, I think “Yay You!” Because it’s okay. Our ideal clients may be very similar, but our personalities are very different. And our writing styles are different too.
I want other copywriters to be successful. And I know that most other small business owners want their peers to be successful as well.
Building up others, supporting “competitors” and providing value to help others move their businesses forward is what it’s all about.
[bctt tweet=”Build up others. Don’t worry about if they’re competition.” username=””]
I’m too old for cattiness and beating others down. That got old in middle school and it’s not an attractive quality in adults.
Of course, I’d be lying if I said I never feel a twinge of competition. If I never see a project and think, “I. Want. That!” But, just like when I run, my biggest competitor is myself. For every race that I run, I want to go faster than I did the last time. I push myself to be better.
And it’s the same in business. I’m constantly learning and growing as a writer so I can be better than I was last week, last month, last year.
I’m proud of the accomplishments I’ve made, and I love to watch my own writing grow. And it gives me joy to watch the success of other writers out there.
I can’t serve every business in the online world, and I’d make myself crazy if I tried. You can’t photograph, coach, keep the books, design, post, reach, brand, plan etc. for every ideal client out there either.
[bctt tweet=”Let’s put away the word ‘competition’ so we can help others in business to grow and thrive.” username=””]
Can we put away the word “competition” and find pleasure in watching others in our industry grow and thrive? Trust me, not only will you be much happier for it, you’ll also see your own business grow and thrive because you’ll be more focused on doing better than yesterday. Because YOU are the only competition you need.
