This is Day 6 of 31 Days to Start a Freelancing Business (or Make Yours a Better One). Click here to read Day 1.
Today’s task is easy and might even be amusing: scoping out your competitors.
The one thing you should watch out for is getting intimidated, to the point that you decide you’re not good enough to get payment for your work. Get that out of your system right now, ok?
How to Find Your Competitors
Where are your competitors? Here are some easy ways to find them:
- Google (you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?)
- Twitter. Go to search.twitter.com and type in your industry or service or even the name of a specific person.
- Industry forums. Keep your eyes open for service providers forum participants recommend.
- Your target clients. Ask them whom they hire for specific services. They’re usually responsive on Twitter.
- Elance. Search your industry keyword and find out which Elance service providers have earned the most in the past 6 months or so.
What You Want to Know
Now that you have a small list of possible competitors, look at their professional websites. You’ll want to find out:
- what services they offer
- how much they charge
- who their clients are (look at their testimonials or feedback page)
You’ll also want to make note of:
- how well they present and market themselves (do they appear to be professional?)
- what their unique selling proposition is (what makes them stand out from others?)
- what your target clients want which your competitors don’t address
- where they get their clients (this may not always be obvious; don’t sweat it)
Basically, you want to find out how you can do better than your competitors – in terms of the services you offer, your pricing, and your work ethics.
You’re not trying to do what they’re doing; you’re going to distinguish yourself from them. Make a bullet list of how you can (and will) be better than your competitors.
All done? Post a comment below then take a break (another slice of apple pie?). You deserve it.
Lexi
photo credit: -miguelito-
So basically you could use this to find a way to stand out a bit from your competitors. I did this very thing to set some prices for my articles. I didn’t copy the price, but used it as a reference and adjusted it to my own abilities and experience.
Yes, you got it, Chris! Especially in the beginning, we need to look at what others are doing to see how we compare in the industry.
Lexi
This is very good advice!
None of us freelance in a vacuum, and it is important to know what our competition does. Also, remember that you may be able to learn from your competition.
Hi Laura,
That’s so true. We can learn from our competitors – both what to do and what not to do
Thank you very much for dropping by. Means a lot to me!
Lexi
hi!
I started reading your blog a few days ago, I’ve been reading you from a while in the Freelance Folder, you have a nice writing, easy to understand for those who aren’t native english speakers.
Anyway, I just wanted to suggest one option more on ‘How to Find Your Competitors’, and it’s looking for them in market places, at least is what I use to do.
Greetings form Spain
Hello Rehtse! Thank you very much for your additional advice. It makes perfect sense! Freelance marketplaces are an excellent way to scope out our competitors. Thanks for adding that!
Oh and I also appreciate your kind words about my writing. I hope you continue to find valuable information here at TheSavvyFreelancer.com.
It is interesting to see how other designers are doing business. The hard thing with graphic design is that most designers don’t actually post their prices because design can be fickle. This exercise was a little bit harder for me since I had to estimate what prices would be like but I did enjoy looking at other sites and comparing them to my own. Think I might do a little redesign in the near future.
[...] Day 6. Quick Check on Your Competitors [...]
I am having a really tough time with this! I can find independent designers, but not those who are doing what I am- working for the firms as contractors. It seems that they do not have any web presence!
How do I scope out my competition if they are hiding in the woodwork? Maybe this is how I set myself apart? LOL
@Rachel Waldron – Don’t sweat it! This is not a crucial part of your prep work. You could try asking your clients if there are other designers they hire, stuff like that. But if not, then just move on and do what you think is best for your clients and prospective clients.