If You Had to Kick Your Own Ass, What Would You Do?

I love watching Shark Tank.

During a recent episode, Mark Cuban said that he often likes to strengthen his businesses by asking himself this question:

“If I was going to kick my own ass, what would I do?”

While the question made me chuckle, I realized it was actually a really good question because it forces you to look at your business through your competitors’ eyes.

It also forces you to see all the weaknesses in your current business model.

For a long time, I’ve realized that other freelance copywriters are watching what I do, trying to gain an edge by mimicking me.

So one of my strategies has been to make it hard to figure out what I’m doing. The more complex I make my business, the more difficult it is for a competitor to copy it outright.

I also like to withhold information that I could potentially use to get more business. That may sound strange, so let me illustrate with an example:

I will often withhold new testimonials I’ve received because I don’t want my competitors to see who I’m currently working for.

I also use old ad copy samples for the same reason. I don’t want competitors to see who I’m writing for or how I’m writing sales copy.

Another question you may want to ask yourself is similar to the first, but slightly different. It shifts the focus away from your competitors and toward market forces that are out of your control.

Here’s the question:

“If I could no longer earn a living doing what I’m doing today, what would I do?”

Or, another variation:

“If I had to cannibalize my current business with a new-and-improved business that serves the same market, how would I do that?”

You see, market forces change. Businesses that are thriving today may no longer be feasible five years from now. Or, at the very least, they may be forced to evolve to survive. (Think book stores.)

It’s important to keep these questions in mind because if your competitors don’t kick your ass, the market might very well do it for them.

-Ryan M. Healy