How do I identify my current and/or potential competitors?
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This question focuses on identifying the competitive the landscape both physically and digitally. It is important to talk about the definition of what is seen as a competitor and potential competitor. Identifying these may require a combination of resources to identify the competitive space. Understand what level of resolution is good enough.
Needs Assessment
Process to refine the Question:
- How do you define a competitor?
- How do you define a potential competitor?
- What kinds of identification are you looking for? (name, location, sales)
- What resources have you looked at already? & In which ways did this help or not help?
Difficulties often encountered
- Defining a competitor or potential competitor may take some thinking if the patron doesn't have a clear definition. This is important to clarify to be able to identify resources. If stuck, try asking about what people would buy instead of their product or service to see if this helps prompt some ideas.
Resources and Next Steps:
Catalog / Guide Documents
- You can search for businesses in your industry in specific locations and get detailed information like how large the business is, how much they earn, and so on Reference Solutions (requires Library card ID).
People and Organizations
Business Support Organizations
- U.S. Small Business Administration|SBA
- Resource:PG County Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
- Resource:Hispanic Business Center
- Resource:PG County Economic Development Corporation
- SCORE Mentor Services
