Why is it that when you come up with a really great idea, take the time to put it in place, test it and refine it, a competitor comes along and snatches up the idea and call it their own?
If you are in business long enough, you’ll find yourself being FLATTERED for your ideas. You’ll come up with a really great package or network with an awesome restaurant in town, or just do something different with the way you do business, and before you know it someone else takes your really great ideas, and with a modicum of thought, and minor change to your format, slap their name on it and run with it for their own benefit.
It happened to us when we were running our inn, and it’s still happening today.
At the Atlanta 2009 PAII conference our Acorn Team came up with an idea of something new and difference to try, so we decided to provide scheduled, private 1-on-1’s for any innkeeper, and also provided them and an internet “health” report to take home with them. Before you knew it – our competition was doing the exact same thing!
Then we thought it'd be a great idea to put out our Web Designs on our Facebook Photo Album Page for customers to view and within a week, that very same competitor had their wares displayed in the very same fashion.
Finally, I just received an E-Mail this evening sharing the new WEBinars this same competitor is offering throughout the month of December. Come on folks, Acorn Marketing is known as a premier educator in our industry. We’ve been teaching innkeepers and small business owners how to better their businesses for over 7 years now. Our WEBinars have been in place for the entirety of 2009, and receive rave reviews from the attendees! Oh, and let's not forget to put the cherry on top, this competitor announced topics are the identical topics to what we have on our schedule for December 2009 and have been teaching for months.
Oh how VERY FLATTERED we all feel!
Lisa Kolb
President and Co-Founder
Acorn Marketing
Clearly it was thought that you had a very good idea. I see it often, as three (count 'em) local competitors have started copying my specials – word for word.
I know how you feel. I was so proud of my text wording that was so unique to who I am as a person and as a business and a competitor took it almost word for word from my web site to theirs. I wasn't as flattered at all. I was spending the money and they were benefiting.
As far as I'm concerned ACORN Internet marketing is the best and always will be. I love you guys! Keep up the good work and your customers will naturally spead the word and you won't have to worry about thsoe lazy competitors who are all about themseves. They are just phony and cheap. And usualy those kind get bad reviews eventually .