Competition in business can be a good thing. It can push businesses to improve, encourage new ideas, and ultimately give customers more choices.
But there’s something I’ve learned since opening my used bookstore and printing business:
Just because another business sees you as competition doesn’t mean you have to compete with them.
The Competition Started Before We Even Opened
When I signed the lease for my used bookstore, I was excited about what was ahead. I knew opening a retail location would come with challenges, but one of those challenges started almost immediately.
From the time I signed on the dotted line, a neighboring business was reportedly trying to convince the landlord not to allow me to open.
That was certainly frustrating.
Since then, there have been other hurdles. Complaints have been made to the landlord about different things they didn’t like or disagreed with.
Some of it frustrated me. Some of it added unnecessary stress.
But none of it stopped me.
Instead, I made a decision early on:
Stay in my lane and keep building.
My Biggest Competition Is Me
It’s easy as a business owner to become obsessed with what another business is doing.
What are they charging?
What sale are they running?
What products are they carrying?
What are they posting on Facebook?
What are customers saying about them?
And sure, knowing your market is important. Competition can even help you recognize areas where your own business could improve.
But there’s a big difference between understanding your competition and running your business based on your competition.
I don’t want to build my business around someone else’s decisions.
If another business runs a sale, that doesn’t mean I need to run one.
If they change their prices, that doesn’t mean I need to change mine.
If they add something new, that doesn’t automatically mean I need to add it too.
My real competition is the business I operated yesterday.
Can I make the store better?
Can I improve our selection?
Can I add another useful service?
Can I make something more affordable?
Can I provide better customer service?
Can I give people another reason to come back?
That’s the competition I’m interested in.
Build a Business That Doesn’t Depend on Constant Sales
One thing that has been important to me is trying to price our products and services appropriately from the beginning.
I don’t want to intentionally inflate prices just so I can constantly advertise a huge discount.
Sales can be great. We run sales and promotions ourselves when they make sense. But I don’t believe a business should have to live in a permanent cycle of marking something up just so it can mark it back down.
I’d rather have customers walk into the store on a normal Tuesday and feel like they’re getting a fair price.
When we have a sale, I want it to actually mean something.
That philosophy also means I don’t need to watch another business’s promotions and immediately react.
“They’re having a sale, so we’d better have one too.”
No.
Their business is their business.
Our business is ours.
Be Honest About What Your Business Actually Does
I’ve also learned how important transparency is.
We aren’t trying to create an image of something we’re not.
We’re a used bookstore and printing services business. We sell products. We offer services. We acquire inventory through donations, trade-ins, purchases, and other legitimate sources.
That’s what we do.
I don’t believe you need to disguise what your business is, manufacture urgency, or create misleading impressions about where merchandise came from just to get people through the door.
Maybe some marketing tactics generate attention in the short term.
But I’m much more interested in building something that customers trust in the long term.
Staying in Your Lane Doesn’t Mean Ignoring Competition
When I say “stay in your lane,” I don’t mean you should pretend competitors don’t exist.
Competition is healthy.
If another business comes up with a great idea, let it inspire you to come up with your own.
If they provide something better than you do, figure out how you can improve.
If customers choose them instead of you, ask yourself why.
That’s healthy competition.
But constantly reacting to another business isn’t.
Neither is trying to create roadblocks for someone because you’re worried about what their success could mean for you.
There’s room for multiple businesses to succeed.
Especially when those businesses focus on giving customers different experiences, different products, different services, and different reasons to support them.
Customers Notice More Than You Think
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that customers are paying attention.
They notice your prices.
They notice how they’re treated.
They notice whether you’re constantly running “sales.”
They notice whether you support the community.
They notice whether you stand behind your products and services.
And they notice whether you seem more focused on your customers or your competitors.
That’s why I would rather spend my energy improving my own business.
Every hour spent worrying about what another business is doing is an hour I could have spent improving mine.
Keep Building
Opening a retail business hasn’t always been easy.
There have been obstacles.
There have been complaints.
There have been frustrations.
There have certainly been moments when it would have been easy to get distracted by what someone else was doing.
But those things didn’t stop the business from growing.
The bookstore grew.
The printing side grew.
We added services.
We expanded what we could offer.
And we’re still figuring out what comes next.
That’s why my view of competition has changed.
Competition is healthy because it can push you to become better.
But you don’t have to spend your life competing.
You don’t have to copy someone else’s sale.
You don’t have to match every promotion.
You don’t have to obsess over their prices.
You don’t have to retaliate when someone creates an obstacle.
And you definitely don’t have to build your business around another business.
Stay in your lane. Take care of your customers. Charge fair prices. Be honest about what you do. Keep improving.
Let everyone else worry about what you’re doing.
You have a business to build.