There are many things you can do to make your business better than others. You can offer a new service, keep the highest quality products in your kit, or “get to the spot faster” like one of my favorite motivational speakers, Eric Thomas says. Basically, DO before they do…
But out of all of this, I can assure you, in the beauty industry, sometimes the best thing to do is to make them a part of your COMMUNITY. Invite them into your space, teach them something they didn’t know, bring them to a trade show with you, or introduce them to a fellow artist friend.
| TRY IT! Reach out to someone you view as competition and strike up a conversation. |
Doing this, takes the “threat” away. You remove the awkward feeling of knowing you are both after the same thing, and turn them into a resource by building relationship. In most cases, they become one of your greatest assests. They will tell you when they learn about a new amazing product, vent to you about industry problems, and most of all, see you as a person of integrity and send clients your way. When you keep your competition close, you keep your networking opportunities open. Always value community over competition. (And worse case scenario, if your competition is just plain deviant, you keep them close, so you can keep a close eye on them!)
TRY IT! Reach out to someone you view as competition and strike up a conversation. You may start with something like, ” Hi ___ (industry friend), I hope you are well! I was hoping to get a second opinion on ________ ( a product). Have you used it before?” Be sure to ask for opinions not for contacts! Asking for contacts or favors doesn’t build trust…
