The Difference between: Inspired by or Copied?

Copy Cat, Copy Cat, Don’t Know what you are looking at!

Do you remember that saying from school? It has much more meaning than you think. It’s easy to look at something and think, oh thats great I’ll do the same. But if you don’t truly understand the why or how, then you are really missing a crucial element.

Do you remember that quote from Coming to America?

‘While McDonald's has the golden arches, McDowell's has the golden arcs. McDonald's has the Big Mac, but McDowell's has the Big Mick. They both have two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions. But McDonald's buns have sesame seeds.’

As a business owner, it can be tempting to look at successful companies in your industry and try to replicate their strategies.

After all, if something is working for them, it should work for you too, right? Wrong.

Copying from another business may seem like a quick and easy way to achieve success, but it can actually do more harm than good. Not only is it unethical, but it can also lead to legal issues and damage to your reputation.

First and foremost, copying from another business is unethical. It's essentially stealing someone else's ideas and hard work. Just because something is available for public viewing doesn't mean it's fair game for you to copy.

The original business likely invested a lot of time and resources into developing their strategies, and you're essentially trying to piggyback off their success without putting in the same effort.

In addition to being unethical, copying from another business can also lead to legal issues. Many businesses have proprietary information and intellectual property that they've worked hard to protect. If you copy from another business, you could be infringing on their intellectual property rights and open yourself up to legal action.

Even if you don't directly copy someone else's work, attempting to mimic another business too closely can still lead to legal issues. For example, if you use a similar logo, branding, or marketing strategy, you could be accused of trademark infringement or unfair competition.

Finally, copying from another business can damage your reputation. Customers are savvy and can easily spot when a business is trying to imitate another. Instead of being seen as innovative, you may be perceived as unoriginal or even deceitful.

Customers want to support businesses that are unique and authentic, and copying from another business sends the opposite message.

So what can you do instead of copying from another business? Focus on developing your own unique strategies and ideas. Take inspiration from successful businesses, but put your own spin on things.

Think about what sets you apart from your competitors and lean into that. Not only will this approach help you avoid legal issues and maintain your reputation, but it will also help you build a more sustainable and successful business in the long run.

In conclusion, copying from another business is never a good idea.

It's unethical, can lead to legal issues, and can damage your reputation.

Instead of copying from others, focus on developing your own unique strategies and ideas.

This approach will help you build a stronger, more successful business that truly stands out from the crowd.