Understanding what your “competition” is up to and having a good grasp on what is going on in your industry, field, or region is a very good thing. Showing your customers and clients how you can bring them better service, higher quality goods, or just meet their needs better is also a good thing. Trashing and trying to down-grade the competition is NOT a good thing…
When I was growing up, there used to be a standard rule: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” This is not such a bad rule of thumb to revisit for your home business. While you definitely want to let your customers and prospective customers know how fabulous your business is and how you can best meet their needs in regards to your services or products—running down the competition actually makes your business look worse, not better.
Not to mention, your trashing the competition will cause the competition to come after you even stronger and harder. If you develop a reputation as someone who is cut-throat and bashing your colleagues and others in your industry, there is a good chance those competitors will make bringing your business down a priority. Can you stand up to this sort of pressure or attack? And, do you want to be known for that sort of negative marketing or appear uncooperative and antagonistic? Chances are, you will need all the friends and allies you can gather as you are striving to build your small home business—and trashing the competition will not get you those allies.
It is a far better idea to take the high road. If you can’t bring yourself to say nice things, or recommend any of your competitors for anything, that’s fine. It is better to just not say anything that to say some negative to try to make your business look superior.
See Also: Can You Cope With Competition?
Do You Know What Your Customers Want?
Should You Brag About Your Accomplishments?