Whitewed Advice: Stop Comparing your Business to Others

Here at Whitewed, I work with engaged couples, wedding venues and suppliers alike, and 13 years in the industry and many thousands of contacts means I have a true and realistic view into how both sides of the industry react, perform, cope, and what their processes, challenges and wins are.

One of the conversations I come across time and time again with my colleagues is all based around comparing your business to other businesses!  Hands up who’s guilty of this?!

I am! I used to do it all the time, I would look at my competitors and think things like:

• "OMG they are soooo busy with new clients and events, why aren’t I?”
• ”They have sooooo many followers”
• ”They look so successful”
• ”I’m rubbish at business and everyone else around me is so good at it”
• ”They are at shows all over the UK, should I be doing that?”
• ”Their website is amazing! How can mine be like that?”
• ”They sell out their products and services within minutes!!! How does that even happen?”
• ”Everyone else is absolutely smashing it”

Blah blah blah! It can be sooo draining to spend your time and energy watching everyone and comparing them to yourself or your business, and NO good can come from it!!!

So...remember this:

People only share the good bits, the piled high orders, the bookings, the selling out scenario the minute they launch!!

People very rarely show the slow days, the days / weeks with no bookings or orders.

People don’t talk about all the clients that say no! You only hear about it if it’s good news!!

Also, and this is so important... your business could be 1 year old and you’re comparing it to a business that’s 6 years old. You can NEVER compete with that!  Of course they will be further along than you, that’s how it works!!  Instead, let it excite you, as it’s a sneak peek of where you could be in a couple of years! 

Your story is unique and so different.  It's not worthy of comparison.

So...let’s all try not to compare ourselves to others

Everyone’s time will come, and no one knows when it will happen... that’s half the fun, surely! 

I’m going to leave you with this quote from Steve Jobs:

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Repeat all together: I will NOT compare my business to other businesses. Repeat.

Kindest, 

Natalie Lovett, Director of The Whitewed Directory