Getting to Know You
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One of the most important, though sometimes elusive, aspects of running a successful business is knowing everything you can about your competition -- their branding and marketing tactics, how they compensate employees, how they manage their businesses. There's a lot more to it than simply developing a competitive analysis that reveals who your competition is and what they're up to. Knowing your competition should be an ongoing, evolving experience, one that can practically put you right next to that proverbial fly on the wall -- watching, listening, and absorbing. But you don't have to sneak around with a hidden tape recorder to gather intelligence on your competition. If you look hard enough, you can find just what you need without breaking the law or crossing any ethical lines. Read on to learn what you need to know and how to get it. -- Leslie Levine
