| Business intelligence does not mean donning a pair of | | | | screensaver can stop people prying into your files |
| dark glasses and standing in the corner of a rival | | | | while you're away from your desk. A number one |
| business's office to steal their trade secrets. It is far | | | | way to protect yourself is to never give anyone a |
| more than that, after all what use is the secrets if you | | | | copy of your business plan or even to see it until you |
| don't adapt your own business to make it more | | | | are certain they will keep it confidential. The last thing |
| appealing than theirs? As cutthroat as it seems, it can | | | | you want is for your business plan to turn up in your |
| be almost guaranteed they will be doing the same to | | | | rival's office. |
| you. Business development is essential but you must | | | | Work as a Team |
| be flexible especially when you are faced with | | | | Everyone under your employment must work as a |
| competition. A simple but effective way to analyse | | | | team for efficient business development. Ten or even |
| just how much of a threat a rival is a process called | | | | twenty people with ears and eyes open can protect |
| SWOT, which looks at the Strengths and | | | | your business from your rivals but also pick up |
| Weaknesses of your rival and displays the | | | | business intelligence that would slip by an individual. |
| Opportunities and Threats these facts present. | | | | Encourage this among your employees and you never |
| If you know, everyone will | | | | know just what they may report back with. Regular |
| Don't trust channels that start off 'a friend of a friend's | | | | meetings should be held where these can be |
| brother told me' because even if the information is | | | | accumulated and discussed in reflection to business |
| legitimate, it will be old. After all, it would have to pass | | | | development. |
| through all those people before it reached you and | | | | Collect contacts |
| your rival would probably have changed their plans by | | | | Business intelligence isn't just about the competition. It's |
| then anyway. Secondary sources are never reliable | | | | about your own business development just as much if |
| for up to date information. If you want to stay ahead | | | | not more so. The best way to gather information to |
| of the game you must spend a proportion of your | | | | help and bolster your company is to visit business |
| profits on finding the information out first. For example, | | | | conventions and conferences. While the Internet is a |
| if you work in retail, employ a plain clothed individual to | | | | great resource for information, nothing can compare to |
| simply walk around your rival's shop, speaking to the | | | | sitting down and meeting professionals and possibly |
| staff to see how they handle their customers as well | | | | even starting new contracts. This will also help you get |
| as to check their prices. This form of gathering | | | | a much wider scope of the business market as a |
| business intelligence is simple and the easiest to | | | | whole as well receiving business intelligence that would |
| implement into your own business development. | | | | never make the Internet. However if you can't make a |
| Protect what you know | | | | large number of these conferences there are sites |
| A good defense is important as a good offense. After | | | | and forums on the net with excellent contact and |
| all your rival will be after your information as much you | | | | information exchange opportunities. An excellent |
| are after theirs. Simple things like putting a password | | | | example of this would be singingpig.co.uk. |
| on your computer to pop up whenever it switches to | | | | |