The other day I mentioned some ways to learn about your customers . Ways to find out who your target market is.

One of those ways, according to my post, was to snoop out the competition and see what you could find out about their customers.

Here’s a question:

Is the term “competition” really the right word? Does that accurately express the relationship between you and other people who make and sell items or services similar to yours?

I think I did you a disservice by using such a word. I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.

The truth is this: There is plenty to go around. There are plenty of customers. Plenty of Facebook fans. Plenty of blog followers. Take it even further and I’ll tell you that there is plenty of money out there and plenty of ideas that can help you earn some of it.

Plenty.

Competition implies that one person or company wins and another loses. That’s really not how this works. In fact, I’d venture to say that in online business, the opposite is probably closer to the truth. It’s more like the more people that win, the more room there is for more winners.

Success in your niche by someone else is good for you.

That’s not the way I was raised I tell you. But it is the way it is.

So let’s pick a new word and forget all about competition.

Can I put this out to everyone? What’s a better word for companies or individuals who are in a similar business to you?

Friends? Fellow Travelers? The Others? There must be a better word than competition.

Any ideas?

You’re an entrepreneur. (Do you need to say that to yourself a few times?)

Not just any ole’ entrepreneur either. You’re an online entrepreneur. An Etsypreneur!

You’ve entered a world that, while solid and stable, is constantly in motion.

Fast motion.

When things come at you fast, you have to move fast!

Things change fast online and you shouldn’t be afraid to change with them.

You’re bound to make some decisions that don’t seem to be working for you. Traditional wisdom has been that you should be slow to change your mind.

When it comes to your absolute target, I think that’s very true. But I think there is danger in holding too close to a chosen course to get there.

Sometimes, you need to make quick adjustments, guaged and guided by instinct.

An example from our work.

I told readers less than a week ago that we were going to start signing posts “Tim & Kim” since that was an accurate representation of our work.

And it is. We talk about post ideas, we share in the happy job of responding to comments, we bounce phrases, word choices, and spelling back and forth when we write.

But we each write. And we each use different words. I never say “Yay!” for example (sorry), and Kim has a much stronger ability to see more than just the “business” side of being an Etsypreneur.

We also each tend to write in a conversational style with lots of use of “I” in its various forms. (me, mine, my vs. we, ours, our)

We’ve found it strange to write a post with a bunch of “I” references and then sign it, “we”.

So “we” have to make a quick change of course. Even though we publicly went one way, now we have to publicly go a different way.

Everything is public nowadays, so you might as well get used to that and realize everyone changes things.

So don’t be afraid of change. You’re trying to create an income in the online arena. Be quick on your feet and make adjustments as you go.

Just a thought for the day.

- Tim