Interesting article on competition

Can competition (against your business -- not, like, running in track and field) be a good? Read Why Starbucks actually helps mom and pop coffeehouses. - By Taylor Clark - Slate Magazine: "Starbucks has been about as lethal a killer as a fluffy bunny rabbit."

In a nutshell, if you have Starbucks around, that gets people thinking about spending $4 for a cup of coffee, and if that's the field you're playing in, it's good to have people thinking about that.

So, I suppose it depends on what your business field is; if you're selling something that's really necessary and important, competition might hurt you... but if you're trying to sell snow to Minnesotans, the more people shouting "Snow is great! You need snow! Buy snow now!", the better off you'll be.

Maybe? Thoughts?

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