I try to be
as knowledgeable
about the competition
as I am about the company
I work for
or am building.
I believe I have to be.
That’s how a company
stays competitive.
One of the ways I do this
is by making purchases
from the competition.
In the Romance Novel Industry,
I buy and read the competitors’ books,
subscribe to their newsletters,
attend as many of their events
as possible.
This takes time.
I’m my sole employee.
I have to do this myself.
But if I had employees,
I would encourage them
to do this also.
How to do this?
Marie Petulla,
Founder of
KP Hospitality Group,
shares
“At Union,
for example,
we will give them
enough for dinner and
drinks for two
at a restaurant
that is the same caliber.
We then ask them
to come back
and write a short review.
This is for our entire staff.
It helps everyone
compare different ingredients,
decor, wait staff,
guest experience
to comparable places
—for some of them,
places they may not go to regularly.”
Shopping at the competition
is a great way
to ensure you remain competitive.