Why you shouldn’t compete, you should collaborate
I know there are hundreds of other numbers geeks (aka accountants and bookkeepers) out there and does that bother me…..NO
And I will tell you why.
I might be a very big numbers nerd, number cruncher, calculator lover, pen pusher…whatever I have heard them all. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a personality. It doesn’t mean I can’t connect with business owners.
And you know what – I actually pride myself on being able to communicate the financial jargon and ATO speak to someone who knows they need to know it, but really doesn’t want to spend the time working it all out.
So why then don’t I compete…well I guess in theory I do compete. Everyone has competitors – both physical businesses/people – but also other factors such as overseas outsourcing (which I don’t do), technology (which I have embraced) and being a very “un-stereotypical” non corporate woman in a generally speaking a man’s corporate world (I don’t need a corner office and briefcase to prove my knowledge).
I think with competition – the best way to tackle it is to embrace it.
Competition will never go away so don’t try to make it vanish – you are wasting your time. Instead, work out how to use it to your advantage.
And how the heck does one do that you ask (well I am so glad you asked):
- Can you collaborate with a direct competitor, share a client base, do a promotion or refer work back and forth
- Can you collaborate with a similar (but not identical business) to gain exposure, knowledge, industry insights and training
- Can you be mentored by someone in the industry who you admire
- Can you build strategic alliances that one day might mean you merge with another business owner, growing your business and skill set at the same time
All of these things mean you face your competition head on….but only positive things will come out of these. Assuming your competition will vanish is not the option if you want to grow and succeed.
The fast eat the slow…its time to embrace