How to Deal with Competition in Business

I’m sure you have heard the saying ‘community over competition’ but, in reality, how much do you really believe this turn of phrase when it comes to your millinery business?

When faced with adversity (or when someone else enters your ‘patch’), it is instinctive to feel a little put-out. It’s a self-protection mechanism. It’s normal to worry about things like what they might think of you, that their work is better than yours or that they will be better at marketing and your clients will flood to them instead of you.

Here are the facts:

• People buy people. Your clients will buy hats from you because they relate to you and like your work. If they don’t connect with you, they won’t buy from you anyway. (That’s OK, by the way. We can’t appeal to everyone and we really shouldn’t try. See my article on ideal clients to find out more).
• There are plenty of clients for everyone.
• The ‘other’ person is human, too. They probably feel the same anxieties about you.
• Most people are nice human beings but, without knowing them, it’s easy to judge or feel fear of them.
• The more you focus on your own work and your own thing, rather than on what other people are up to, the more energy you will have to put into your success.

In my experience, the thought of competition can sometimes feel debilitating. When you see someone else achieving what you want to achieve, it can make you think, “If they are doing that, then why should I even bother trying? They already have their foot in the door and I don’t.”

This can lead to feelings of not being good enough. It can cause you to worry.

So, what do we do about it?

Get to know your competition. If I feel threatened by someone or something, I try and learn about them – to meet up or connect with them online and become allies with them. Usually, they not only have the same interests as me, but they will also have the same problems and issues as well. This is likely to create a natural connection. The more you know someone, the less you will feel threatened by them. Instead, you will become their cheerleader and be proud of their achievements. We are all human and thrive off connection with others. Of course, you won’t click with everyone and some people don’t see the benefit of friendship or collaboration. Most of the time, though, your shared passion for millinery will unite you. In fact, you might find that your ‘competitor’ will share ideas with you or even pass work your way if they are can’t complete a job for some reason or your skills are better suited to the request.

Unfollow perceived ‘threats.’ If scrolling through social media and seeing what someone else is up to in their Instagram-curated world is making you feel negatively towards them (and you don’t feel that making a connection with them will change these feelings), then just unfollow them. That way you don’t need to worry about what they are doing.

Get to work. Put your head down, stop thinking about what others are doing and just do what you do as well as you can do it. Focus on your plan, not someone else’s!

Remember why you are doing what you are doing. Your long-term goals for your millinery business may well be very different to the other person’s goals. Don’t get swept away thinking that you are inferior if, in fact, your potential competition doesn’t even have the business that you want or that you are working towards in the first place!

Working on these strategies will help you overcome feelings of inferiority and fear when it comes to dealing with competition. It’s also very important to build a positive community around yourself.

Surround yourself with like-minded people

Have you ever tried to make your partner or friends understand why you do what you do? Have they ever questioned your choice of running your own business? Or said that you work too hard for the amount of money that you earn when you could just go and get a standard job?

A lot of people do not understand the creative or entrepreneurial mindset. They might think that you are crazy for doing what you do. This can make you feel lonely in your quest, or that you are not following the right path, which can be detrimental to your motivation. On the other hand, surrounding yourself with others in the same situation as you, people who ‘get’ you (or even better, those that you aspire to be like) will leave you feeling energised and like you can conquer the world!

I make conscious choices to surround myself with people who inspire me. In my case, this is generally small business entrepreneurs, not necessarily in the millinery industry, but those who understand the trials, tribulations and growth process involved in running a business. I seek out people who are always pushing themselves to be better and achieve more, and I relish the time I spend with them.

Here’s why…

• I find I have more fulfilling relationships with these kinds of people.
• They can pull you out of a rut because they can understand your situation. This gives you an amazing support system.
• You can learn new skills from them, or even hire them to help in various areas of your business.
• They don’t question your ‘why.’
• Seeing a friend succeed pushes you forward to take the next steps yourself, no matter how scary.

I firmly believe that I would not have the millinery business I have today had I not met a certain person when I first started. She inspired me and showed me what was possible and this allowed me to dream bigger than I had ever dared to before. She didn’t have a millinery, or even a creative, business, but much of the entrepreneurial thought process is transferable. In many ways, my business has now overtaken hers and I have my own wealth of experience that I can give back to help her in her business. Along the way, I’ve met and created friendships with others who equally inspire and support me. For me, this is the greatest thing that a friendship can offer and the best way to build a solid community around yourself.

Start building your business community

Genuine connection disperses fear and judgment which, in turn, will make you a better person and a better business owner. Don’t be afraid to make connections with people who lift you up, raise you up and make you feel like anything is achievable. Invest in building your community. Why not reach out to someone, in any walk of life, who you see as potential competition (but who also inspires you) and see what happens?

Beverley x

About the Author

Beverley Edmondson is a British milliner and business mentor. She works directly with milliners and creatives mentoring them to help them reach their business dreams.

See Beverley’s full bio HERE.