Comments on: Be ORIGINAL! http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/ a resource for managed service providers and other small business IT professionals Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:54:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Startup Secrets? : Texas Startup Blog http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-256 Startup Secrets? : Texas Startup Blog Wed, 21 May 2008 18:59:27 +0000 http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-256 [...] from Everonit insists that his competitors ‘Be ORIGINAL!‘ as he complains about a competitor that has ‘ripped off’ their website.  My [...] […] from Everonit insists that his competitors ‘Be ORIGINAL!‘ as he complains about a competitor that has ‘ripped off’ their website.  My […]

]]> By: Mike http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-208 Mike Mon, 12 May 2008 23:14:06 +0000 http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-208 I know! It's quite funny. I know! It’s quite funny.

]]> By: Alexander Muse http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-207 Alexander Muse Mon, 12 May 2008 21:18:54 +0000 http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-207 OMG! That is so funny. We have a Russian sales person here and she said it is a complete translation of your site. OMG! That is so funny. We have a Russian sales person here and she said it is a complete translation of your site.

]]> By: Mike http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-204 Mike Sat, 10 May 2008 22:41:14 +0000 http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-204 Thanks Alexander! I appreciate the advice - and I agree with it. I too am a big believer that the best thing that could happen to all of us is to have our model replicated and "managed service" become a household term. That being said, copying our model and copying our brand are two different things. I don't let it bother me too much anymore. By the way, check out our Russian branch of Everon: www.everonit.ru Needless to say...I don't speak Russian! Mike Thanks Alexander! I appreciate the advice - and I agree with it. I too am a big believer that the best thing that could happen to all of us is to have our model replicated and “managed service” become a household term. That being said, copying our model and copying our brand are two different things. I don’t let it bother me too much anymore.

By the way, check out our Russian branch of Everon:

www.everonit.ru

Needless to say…I don’t speak Russian!

Mike

]]> By: Alexander Muse http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-202 Alexander Muse Sat, 10 May 2008 19:37:59 +0000 http://smbitpros.com/2008/05/09/be-original/#comment-202 Mike - I wouldn't worry about it too much. When we began offering flat fee support back in 2001 most of our competitors were still offering blocks of time or hourly service contracts. We met with each of our primary competitors and described our business model is every detail. Half of the companies we talked to copied our model. This was by design. Why? Because it created a market. Now most small businesses in North Texas have accepted the flat fee model as normal and simply compare each provider. It was hard to carry the water at first - i.e. to convince everyone that this new way of delivering IT services was going to be normal. But after our competitors began offering the same service, clients began more accepting. Ironically, those competitors who didn't copy our model have mostly gone out of business. So don't worry about the copy cats, just realize they they are validating your model. Have your lawyer send them a cease and desist letter and forget about it. Some guy stole our entire website theme a couple of years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexmuse/178122058/ Mike - I wouldn’t worry about it too much. When we began offering flat fee support back in 2001 most of our competitors were still offering blocks of time or hourly service contracts. We met with each of our primary competitors and described our business model is every detail. Half of the companies we talked to copied our model. This was by design.

Why? Because it created a market. Now most small businesses in North Texas have accepted the flat fee model as normal and simply compare each provider. It was hard to carry the water at first - i.e. to convince everyone that this new way of delivering IT services was going to be normal. But after our competitors began offering the same service, clients began more accepting.

Ironically, those competitors who didn’t copy our model have mostly gone out of business. So don’t worry about the copy cats, just realize they they are validating your model. Have your lawyer send them a cease and desist letter and forget about it.

Some guy stole our entire website theme a couple of years ago:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexmuse/178122058/

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