MBA2585 Q&A Wednesday: What Should I Do If a Competitor Copies My Business?

Summary

The $100 MBA Show: MBA2585 Q&A Wednesday – What Should I Do If a Competitor Copies My Business?

Release Date: February 12, 2025

Introduction

In episode MBA2585 of The $100 MBA Show, host Omar Zenhom tackles a common and frustrating issue faced by entrepreneurs: dealing with competitors who copy your business. Drawing from over two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Omar provides actionable strategies to not only handle imitation but also turn it into an opportunity for growth and differentiation.

Personal Experiences with Copycats

Omar begins by empathizing with listeners who feel personally attacked when their business is copied. He shares his own experiences with his software company, Webinar Ninja, which was repeatedly imitated by competitors. “We’ve been copied more times than I can count. I’m talking about entire feature sets,” Omar reveals ([01:17]). This personal anecdote sets the stage for a detailed exploration of effective responses to such challenges.

Step 1: Embrace the Reality of Imitation

Omar emphasizes that being copied is a sign of doing something right. “If you’re being copied, it means you’re doing something right,” he explains ([02:55]). This perspective shift helps entrepreneurs view imitation as validation rather than a setback. The presence of copycats indicates that you are leading in your market and have set a valuable standard worth emulating.

Step 2: Protect Your Intellectual Property

Once your business has gained traction, it becomes crucial to safeguard your unique assets. Omar outlines essential steps for intellectual property protection:

1. Trademark Your Brand Assets
   “The main things you need to trademark are your business name, your logo, and your tagline,” Omar advises ([05:03]). Trademarking prevents competitors from using these elements outright and reinforces your brand’s identity.

2. Leverage Automatic Copyrights
   Original content such as website copy and videos are automatically protected under copyright laws in most Western countries. However, Omar warns that legal protection alone isn’t sufficient without enforcement.

3. Enforce Your Rights When Necessary
   If a competitor blatantly copies your work, “consulting with an intellectual property lawyer...is gonna cost you under $1,000. Might be worth it if it’s costing you that much money in sales,” Omar suggests ([07:06]).

Step 3: Focus on Innovation and Customer Experience

Instead of obsessing over imitators, Omar recommends concentrating on what you can control:

• Continuous Innovation
  “Copycats are always one step behind. By continuously to improve and to innovate in your business, you can make it impossible for them to even get ahead,” Omar states ([09:06]). Staying ahead through constant innovation ensures that your offerings remain unique and superior.

• Enhancing Customer Experience
  Omar highlights the importance of exceptional customer service and seamless user experiences. “Your competitors can copy your product or your marketing, but they can’t copy your team, your brand, or the experience you deliver to customers,” he emphasizes ([02:55]).

Step 4: Change the Narrative

Omar advises entrepreneurs to use the situation to their advantage by reinforcing their position as the original and market leader:

• Reinforce Your Leadership
  “Position yourself as the original... Share your story, your process, and what sets you apart,” Omar recommends ([10:26]).

• Leverage the Imitation in Marketing
  Use instances of copying as proof of your influence. For example, Omar mentions showcasing side-by-side comparisons of your content versus the competitor’s to highlight your originality and leadership ([10:40]).

Conclusion

Omar concludes the episode by summarizing the four key steps to handle competitors copying your business:

1. Accept Imitation as a Compliment – Recognize that being copied signifies your business is on the right track.
2. Protect Your Intellectual Property – Invest in trademarks and be prepared to enforce your rights.
3. Innovate and Enhance Customer Experience – Stay ahead by continuously improving and providing exceptional value.
4. Use the Situation to Strengthen Your Brand – Reinforce your position as the market leader and original innovator.

“Getting copied is frustrating. But it's not the end of the world. Don’t forget that you have the power to handle it with grace and with class,” Omar encourages ([11:30]).

By following these strategies, entrepreneurs can effectively manage competition, maintain their market position, and continue to grow their businesses despite imitation.

Notable Quotes

• Omar Zenhom at [02:55]:
  “If you’re being copied, it means you’re doing something right.”

• Omar Zenhom at [05:03]:
  “The main things you need to trademark are your business name, your logo, and your tagline.”

• Omar Zenhom at [07:06]:
  “If the copying is blatant or harms your business or your revenue in any way, I would think it’s worth consulting with an intellectual property lawyer.”

• Omar Zenhom at [09:06]:
  “By continuously to improve and to innovate in your business, you can make it impossible for them to even get ahead.”

• Omar Zenhom at [10:26]:
  “Don’t waste time worrying about being copied. Use it to your advantage. Position yourself as the original.”

• Omar Zenhom at [11:30]:
  “Don’t forget that you have the power to handle it with grace and with class.”

Final Thoughts

This episode of The $100 MBA Show serves as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of competitive imitation. By adopting Omar Zenhom’s practical advice, business owners can not only defend their brand but also leverage imitation to further establish their market leadership.

Transcript

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[Omar Zenhom]

What do you do when your competitor just straight up copies your business? Your features, the words on your website, even your sales videos? It's frustrating, it's infuriating and you can feel like this is like some sort of personal attack. But here's the truth. If you're doing anything right, this will happen Today. I'm going to share with you what to do when your competitor copies you.

[Co-host]

Why it's not the end of the.

[Omar Zenhom]

World, and how to stay ahead despite the fact they're just straight up ripping you off. Welcome Back to the $100 MBA Show. I'm your host Omar Zenholm, where we deliver practical business lessons three times a week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday to help you start, grow and scale your business. Today's Q and A Wednesday, where we answer a question from one of our listeners, one of our community members. If you got a question you want to ask, go to100mba.netq Submit your question there. Today's question is from Tony and Tony asks what should I do if a competitor copies my business? Tony, I feel your pain. Over the last 20 years of doing this business thing, this has happened to me over and over and over, especially with my software company that I built for 10 years, webinar ninja. We've been copied more times than I can count. I'm talking about entire feature sets.

[Co-host]

They're ripping off the actual words and.

[Omar Zenhom]

Copy from our website, like word for word.

[Co-host]

Even our sales videos are replicated almost frame by frame like they just ripped.

[Omar Zenhom]

Off the script and just duplicated it. I get it. It's incredibly frustrating, especially right when you notice it, right when you see it and it's pointed out to you. But let me share some practical, effective ways to handle this situation. Step one is understanding the reality of.

[Co-host]

Of business.

[Omar Zenhom]

What's that reality? Well, it's. Copying is inevitable.

[Co-host]

If you're being copied, it means you're doing something right.

[Omar Zenhom]

Think about it. People don't copy things that are not worth copying.

[Co-host]

It's a sign that you're leading in.

[Omar Zenhom]

The right direction in your market. Does it say that imitation is the highest form of flattery? But in your case, with your business, it means that you're basically the market standard. People see you as the leader and they're like, hey, they're doing this right. Let's just copy them.

[Co-host]

The second thing you need to keep.

[Omar Zenhom]

In mind is that copycats can't replicate your execution. They can copy your product or your marketing, but they can't copy your team, your brand, or the experience you deliver to customers. Execution is everything.

[Co-host]

And this is what I have found.

[Omar Zenhom]

When my competitors copied me. On the surface, they looked similar to us, but as soon as you just kind of interact with them, it all kind of falls flat and doesn't work. For example, we had many competitors when I was building Webinar Nature, my software, that were copying our features exactly. One competitor in particular was really just doing everything we were doing. But I didn't panic when we knew they couldn't replicate the thought process, the.

[Co-host]

User experience, or the customer support that made all this work together.

[Omar Zenhom]

It made me understand that they can try to present themselves as a competitor.

[Co-host]

But once customers experience it, they'll be.

[Omar Zenhom]

Like, no, this is not exactly what I'm looking for.

[Co-host]

I'm going to go to the source.

[Omar Zenhom]

I'm going to go to the market leader, which was us. And it was just so much easier to convert those customers because they are not needing to be convinced of the software. They just need one that's better.

[Co-host]

So the bottom line here is that.

[Omar Zenhom]

They can copy your style, but they can't copy your substance, your execution, and your complete experience. Another good example of this is that there are hundreds of theme parks around the world, but there's only one Disney, right? Disney World, Disneyland.

[Co-host]

Wherever you are in the world, Paris.

[Omar Zenhom]

Or Japan or Hong Kong, people understand that Disney parks are unique when people try to copy them. And when they experience it, they're like.

[Co-host]

Oh, this is cheesy.

[Omar Zenhom]

What is this? All right, step two is to protect your Intellectual property.

[Co-host]

There are steps to protect your business legally.

[Omar Zenhom]

But I want to tell you that this is not for somebody who's just starting out. If you're starting out and you're not making any money and you have no traction, you have no product market fit, you haven't made your first $10,000 in revenue is kind of the mark I see as that starting phase, that zero to $10,000, then these things I'm going to mention to you are really not for you. Wait until you get to that point where you actually have something on your hands worth protecting. First one is trademarking your brand assets. And you don't really need to trademark every single thing. The main things you need to trademark is your business name, like the brand name. You're trading on logos, maybe even a tagline that you're famous for, like McDonald's.

[Co-host]

I'm loving it.

[Omar Zenhom]

That's a T. This prevents competitors from using them outright. Now, I have done this with my businesses and it's actually not that expensive. There's a lot of services that do this on a pretty good budget. I got mine done for under a thousand dollars. I'm talking about all of them. The logo, the brand name, even a tagline. So you have to have some profits to reinvest in this. And I understand people don't want to spend a thousand dollars. A lot of business owners are like, hey, I'd rather spend that on marketing or sales or product. Once you have a product that actually works and your customers are in love with your brand and your experience, I would recommend at least trademarking your business name. Your logo can change over time. Your tagline, it's okay, but the business name is important. Again, this is after you are making money, you're making profits, and you have money to reinvest in your business. The second thing I want to point out that is kind of protected by default is your content. Your website copy. Your videos and other original content are automatically copyrighted under most laws in most Western countries. Now that leads me to the third point, which is just because it's protected by law doesn't mean you. There's nothing you have to do. What if somebody copies you? Well, you have to enforce that law, getting legal involved, which is number three. If the copying is blatant or harms your business or your revenue in any way, I would think it's worth consulting with an intellectual property lawyer or any kind of lawyer that's familiar with this kind of law, and they can send a cease and desist letter to that business.

[Co-host]

To stop the behavior.

[Omar Zenhom]

Usually that stops the behavior most of the time where they're like, oh, you call me, okay, I'll change that, I'll remove that.

[Co-host]

I'll do that.

[Omar Zenhom]

And usually in the letter it says, you know, this is the timeframe. They have to do that. Again, having a lawyer that can do this for a couple hours of work, it's gonna cost you under $1,000. Might be worth it if it's costing you that much money in sales.

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[Sales Team Member]

His next meeting is in two minutes. The team is asking, can he get through his expenses in that time?

[Ramp Advertiser]

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[Team Member]

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[Omar Zenhom]

So as an action step, you may want to audit your business assets and ensure you are protected in any way you can. That's again, if you are revenue and you are actually in the process of growing your business, you're not just kind of just starting out.

[Co-host]

Step three, focus on staying ahead. My advice to you is instead of.

[Omar Zenhom]

Getting sucked in this whole cycle of following your competitors, you need to focus on what you can control. You know, competitors will copy you. Competitors will do nasty things sometimes. And what I found is that the best way to get ahead is to focus. That means constantly innovating.

[Co-host]

And that's what we did.

[Omar Zenhom]

You know, copycats are always one step behind. By continuously to improve and to innovate in your business, you can make it impossible for them to even get ahead.

[Co-host]

For them to actually keep up with you even.

[Omar Zenhom]

And most of the time they just give up. And that's what I found in my experience where you're like, I don't care how much you copy, I'm always going to beat you. The second thing that we did that we really recommend, when you're in this.

[Co-host]

Situation is double down on customer experience. Your customers don't choose just solely on.

[Omar Zenhom]

The product they choose because the experience you provide make your customer support, your onboarding, your customer success, your all of our experience unbeatable, especially before they buy. So when people are asking questions, maybe through a chat bot inside of your website, or they're on a webinar, or they get on a call with you, or they send you an email, all this is super important. When our competitors copied our sales videos, we didn't waste time trying to take them down. Instead, we launched a new series of educational content that positioned us as the.

[Co-host]

Thought leader in webinars.

[Omar Zenhom]

We did live trainings, we did online courses around webinars. And people saw that, oh, we actually know what we're talking about. What a great experience. I'm going to go with the authority. Step four, Change the narrative. Here's a mindset shift I want you to adopt. Don't waste time worrying about being copied.

[Co-host]

Use it to your advantage. Position yourself as the original.

[Omar Zenhom]

There's a reason why Coca Cola puts.

[Co-host]

Original on their cans, reminding the audience that you were the innovator. Share your story, your process, and what sets you apart.

[Omar Zenhom]

One of the things I used to do is I used to share on social and have a picture of our website and the competitor's website and say.

[Co-host]

Hey, we must be doing something right.

[Omar Zenhom]

If they're copying our sales copy word for word. And people would automatically see, oh, you guys are the original people. You guys are the people that started this all. You're the people that come up with the ideas. You're the trailblazers.

[Co-host]

Secondly, you can take it one step.

[Omar Zenhom]

Further and see it as a way to leverage it in your marketing. You know, like whether it's on your website or on your ads, like social media ads, or in your social media, it's an opportunity to highlight your version is better, right? Say, hey, even though these guys are trying to copy us, this is why we're better.

[Co-host]

Create the content that shows that your.

[Omar Zenhom]

Execution solves the problem better than anyone else. Hey, guys, check it out. When you contact our support, we get back to you in 30 seconds on our chat. Our competitors that claim they have great customer support, I tried it and actually.

[Co-host]

They get back to you in 24 hours.

[Omar Zenhom]

Here's the bottom line. Let the copycats be proof of your influence and use it to amplify your brand. So, Tony, who asked today's question, and everybody else who's listening, getting copied is frustrating. I get it. But it's not the end of the world. And don't forget that you have the power to handle it with grace and with class. Number one, accept that copying is a part of the game and take it as a compliment. Number two, protect your intellectual property when you can, when you're making money.

[Co-host]

Number three, focus on innovation and customer experience to stay ahead.

[Omar Zenhom]

Number four, use the situation to reinforce your position as the original, as the market leader.

[Co-host]

Remember, the businesses that succeed are the.

[Omar Zenhom]

Ones that execute better. They serve their customers better, they innovate faster. Copycats will always trail behind and they're not going to be around for long.

[Co-host]

I've seen so many of the competitors.

[Omar Zenhom]

That we faced over the years just drop like flies because they just can't keep that up.

[Co-host]

It's not sustainable.

[Omar Zenhom]

And I actually want to tell them.

[Co-host]

It'S just easier for you to just.

[Omar Zenhom]

Come up with your own ideas.

[Co-host]

You'll do better. Thanks for tuning into the $100 MBA show. If you found this episode helpful, the.

[Omar Zenhom]

Best way to say thank you is to hit that subscriber follow button if you're listening on Spot or Apple or watching on YouTube. It's the best way to support the show and it's the best way for.

[Co-host]

You to continue to learn and grow.

[Omar Zenhom]

Your business so you can get our next episodes automatically. I'm Omar Zenholm and I'll see you in the next episode.

[Ramp Advertiser]

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[Sales Team Member]

His next meeting is in two minutes. The team is asking, can he get through his expenses in that time?

[Ramp Advertiser]

He's going for it.

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Is that his phone?

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He's snapping a pick. He's texting.

[Sales Team Member]

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