Gathering intel on competitors is a time-honored way to get a leg up on the competition. In a perfect world everyone would be collegial and cooperative, but we all know there’s a line of competitors waiting in the wings to snatch away a client or a juicy contract.
Unfortunately, that truism puts a damper on a vitally important activity: Sharing knowledge, and gleaning tips and advice from other business owners. While there’s a plethora of networking groups in almost every city in the U.S., there’s relatively few opportunities to share business operational advice with other CEOs.
Even so, there is no real substitute for sharing hard-won know-how with other business associates, but it’s risky. Bring up the topic of corporate spying and it triggers visions of big corporations slipping in undercover intelligence gatherers to ferret out valuable trade secrets. If a company has invested years of research in a product or service, a competitor’s spy can ruin hopes and dash long-awaited dreams.
Still, the need exists for another perspective from a fellow entrepreneur. We all have weak points – areas where we need a fresh set of eyes. Consider joining our closed group of business leaders. Brain-pickers, naysayers and outside-the-box thinkers, join us!