What Would You Do?

[bkingery]

Howdy All,

Ok heres my problem, one of mine and my wifes friends makes and sells hair bows, cool, fine with that she has nice bows and she does really well selling them, Then one of our other friends talks about making diaper wreaths to sell at craft shows and within a week geuss who has bows AND diaper wreaths on her facebook, ok passing fad it went the way of the wind so not a big deal any more, THEN another friend was telling us about some bags (31 gifts) that she has bought the dealer kit for and is ready to SELL SELL SELL, she put it on her facebook and yes the friend commented that "wow that is really cool i hope you do really well", SOOOOO ( are ya sensing a theme here yet) OH you guessed it, the very next day geuss who put on facebook that she bought the DISTIBUTOR rights to our area from the exact same person as our other Friend and posted on HER facebook that she was said distibutor and everyone needed to buy from her. NOW she's stepping on my wives toes because my wife makes awesome Handmade jewelry, she doesn't sell it for alot but she has done a few shows and she sells something at every one. Our other good friend was also going to try and sell some jewelry that she found a really good price for, she talked about it with my wife and they decided it would be cool if she sold the kinds of things my wife couldn't so they wouldn't compete with each other because they share a booth at one of the shows that they do. YUP you geussed it, geuss who is selling the EXACT same jewelry at the same freakin show and not just the stuff my wife can't make but all of it. This woman doesn't seem to be able to come up with any of her own ideas and when she does steal them she goes way past what any of us can do or afford at the time but NO ONE will say anything to her. Thats why I'm putting it to you all because I promised my wife I wouldn't kill her with Facebook. I'm so angry I could spit sewing awls.

Thanks for the rant

Bryan

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[dirtclod]

It's really hard to read with all of it being in one big paragraph. I get lost about halfway through.

[electrathon]

Your choices seem to be:

Sell your products for less, assuming the quality is the same.

Sell your products for more, because you sell better stuff.

Keep changing what you sell, so you can stay ahead of her following you.

Stay home fuming, upset she is outmarketing you.

Sell at differant places than she is, so you will not have to compete.

Demand from her that she market only approved products, so there will not be market compition.

That is all I can think of for now. I recomend option two.

Aaron

[Chief31794]

Agree with Aaron, this seems like business to me. Business has always been about a "better mouse trap", either beat her in the competition for business volume or find another gig. I don't think anyone can tell anyone else what to market or where since this is an open market. Customers are going to come to the best value (price vs quality tradeoff). Provide the best value and you'll capture the greater share of the market. Also seems like she does a better job of marketing.

Ken

[BillB]

There is also the practice used in counter intelligence and that is mis-information. Have your wife and friend drop hints that they are going to sell product "X" while all the time preparing to sell product "Y".

[bkingery]

Thanks for the replies I just needed to vent a little bit. The biggest problem that I have with her is not that she sells the same stuff, it's the fact that she only does it after someone else tells her they are going to do it. I agree that it is a free market but to me I think that there is a limit to what I will and will not do to make a quick buck. We have decided that the misinformation gig is probably going to be the best way to deal with her . That and just try to beat her at her own game but do it in a way that we can look at ourselves in the mirror when it's all said and done. I just hope she starts selling crappy leather stuff and then I can smoke her on quality alone.

Peace

Bryan

[reddevil76]

Cool down Bryan, if you look at it, companies do this to each other in business.

But of course, you are angry because she is a friend and you don't expect her to treat you guys these way.

But if you start looking at her as a business competitor instead of a friend, then her actions may seem more predictable and you will also treat her accordingly.

[Spinner]

But of course, you are angry because she is a friend and you don't expect her to treat you guys these way.

But if you start looking at her as a business competitor instead of a friend, then her actions may seem more predictable and you will also treat her accordingly.

I agree. Folks that do this in my circle are quickly removed. I don't mind friendly competition and I actually support my friends that enjoy the same hobbies/businesses if they act like friends and talk things over with me. Folks that purposely undercut, overrun, etc. like a big box store does are considered hostile competitors going forward and are treated as such. Some folks above said "it just sounds like business"...etc. Yes it is but at the same time a true friend doesn't work as hard as this gal is to pull money out of your pocket just because they can either.

I'd go with the misinformation track as well for a product or two and then cut her off completely from information. If she truly wants to sell what you're selling, let her do it weeks after you've already sold said items. Her biggest tool for success right now is the one everyone seems to be giving her, information. Cut off the stream and let her find out what you'll be selling when you release it, then she'll be chasing your tail not vice versa.

[reddevil76]

Ok, why not share this "business idea" with her.

Tell her that from the forums, you spotted a new trend where leather workers are taking distressed leather to a new level. They are now taking these expensive european single bends, and using nails on a 2 by 4 to scratch up the grain side, and create this new "traumatic leather" which they then use to create personal items for sale.

However, thoroughly scratching up the grain side takes alot of work, so some enterprising individuals have bought some of these bends, do the scratching, and re-selling them to leather workers at a 50% mark up, and they are selling like hot cakes!

Tell her you are considering buying about 200 of these european single bends from Tandy for a start, and throughly scratch them up with rusty nails, to see if there is a market for them.

[Johanna]

Reddevil, bwaaa-hahahahahah!

Brian, integrity and quality always win out in the long run. I'm with the folks that say starve her for information, or allow her to think her info is correct. And she's not a friend if she's using things she finds out in the course of friendship against people in a business way.

Johanna