Your competition is important to your business. It’s not enough to know what you’re doing – you have to know what everyone else is doing, too. That’s why keeping your eye on the little guy is important.
I sat down one morning to check out my blog stats, and I noticed something interesting. Our blog has some pretty big names keeping tabs on us.
My first thought was, “Huh, that’s cool.” I enjoyed the compliment for a minute, feeling flattered. If some of the most important and influential people in our niche were monitoring our blog, then we were on the right track. We had potential.
My second thought was that these influential people are watching what we do because they think we might – one day – be a contender. We could be a serious player. We could become a major influence, maybe even a rival to their business, making waves in the blogosphere. Big waves start with a small stone, after all. The ripple effect has a wide-reaching impact.
We’re the little guy coming out of left field, and we just might affect the game.
The second time I realized the value of watching out for the little guy was when Rich Morgan leaked the news he was building Consulting Fair, an auction site for freelancers. Here’s this provider, just one more businessman in the virtual world, minding his own business.
Then he made it his business to throw a stone and make some waves.
It made me wonder if Rich’s competition has an eye out. Is their radar on? Are they watching? Sure, Rich’s gig is small right now, but the potential for his venture is huge. If the Big Boys are complacent, thinking no one can shake their foundations, Rich might just sneak up and surprise them.
Every day, new businesses open, websites go up and blogs start churning out content. Anyone could end up being the next mogul or guru, the next leader or expert making waves.
Drop your guard, and you’re leaving yourself open for the little guy to come sweep your feet out from under you.
