Dog Eat Dog / Cut Throat Business - Opinions ?

[MarkPearson]

If you see a business idea that is having success in another country and you really think it could do amazingly well in this country, what are your opinions on researching the idea and launching it here, from what you have seen someone else doing in another country?


Is it rude, morally wrong to do?

Or is it dog eat dog, cut throat business?

Thoughts please? Would you do it?

[webit]

Yes I'd look into doing it here. No question about it.

[directmarketingadvice]

I'm amazed by the question.

If you're in business, you should be keeping an eye on the competition and seriously consider copying any good ideas you see them using.

So, "yes".

Steve

[creacom]

Hi Mark

Of course its been done so many times before and there is nothing wrong with it if there is no legal reason to stop you.

From what you have said, correct me if I am wrong but your roses business started like that ? So a perfect example of how it can work.

Jacqui :D

[webit]

I'm amazed by the question.

If you're in business, you should be keeping an eye on the competition and seriously consider copying any good ideas you see them using.

So, "yes".

Steve

The advantage of not being 'leading edge'. See what they spend the R&D only and take advantage by using their findings yourself. It's very costly to educate the market what a new product does (thing TiVo in the UK) but easy to use it as a reference to a second generation product (Sky+)

[theMBA]

I'd say yes too.
We operate in a (mostly) free market economy.
If someone from overseas objects to your building the business in this country, on the grounds that you have copied their idea(s), you can always do a deal with them and then move on to the next idea.

[Promo Pen People]

Many things that develop or are popular in one country may very well work in another country.

I have spent much of my life in Europe, Canada and Asia and let me share with you some of my thoughts and experiences.

Soon after graduating in the mid-80s, I took a trip to Europe (was living in Canada at the time). Almost every day I would visit a coffee shop and enjoy a snack and a latte. At that time, there were no coffee shops like these in Canada. There were only donut shops and coffee was very cheap in restaurants with free refills.

After returning to Canada, I saw a for rent (to let) sign on some space just off a busy shopping street. At the time the monthly rent was just over 200 pounds a month. I didn’t have much money at the time and wanted to open up a Euro-style coffee shop, and would need some help.

My friends who were in the restaurant business and others told me that people will not spend extra money for a cup of coffee. Yes, I know that this was before Starbucks, but I never minded at all paying a little extra for a good cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing place to enjoy it.

Ten years later, there are now 12 coffee shops in that area all doing a great business. :(

I lost out because I didn't act and I listened to the wrong people.

Soon after, I was off to Asia on a 3-year contract. What an eye opener. Almost every day some idea would enter my mind and all were a cross over from different countries.

In 1989 I was back in Canada. I bought one of this bulky mobile phones for a small fee. A couple of months later I needed a replacement charger to use in the car. The first two sores that I went to couldn't help me out, and the third one had what I needed for a price that would feed a family for a week.

At that time I remembered all the small shops I saw in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok that sold all sorts of accessories for mobile phones. Replacement batteries, leather covers, keypads - you name it, they had it. I thought that there would be room in N.America for small kiosk style shops in shopping malls that sold these types of mobile accessories. I even picked out a name. "Acc/Cell". At that time, my friends said that Canadians don’t care about such products. Well, 10 years later there are thousands of stores like the ones I visualized years ago.

The cross over is the product mixed with western style merchandising. If you can blen the two; one having a great product, and two having the right method, you can have great success.

Curry really only became popular after the Indians started buying out the fish and chip shops and started selling curry.

Who would have that we would be buying fast food sushi 20 years ago?

If you have a good idea, then work it and make it happen. Listen to your heart and follow advice from those you have gained a higher level of success. :D

[MinuWeb]

I would be surprised if there were any successful businesses that had not been copied in some form or another in other countries.

[SillyJokes]

There are very few truly new ideas, just different ways of presenting the same old things.

Miind you, the internet has created a unique opportunity to present things differently therefore business opportunities have never been easier to realise.

They have also never been easier to copy.

[boro97]

Crack on with it mate before someone else does

[Enigma121]

The only gotcha here is Patents, Registered Design and Copyright laws.

Assuming you are not breaching any of these, you are ok to go ahead and "rip" an idea.

The only thing i'd say is that if it's that easy to rip, chances are that others will do the same. You'd therefore be getting into a competitive market.

It's better (but typically very expensive) to develop unique ideas and implement and mass market these yourself as you lead the market for your product.

[Hedgehog Toys]

I have lost count of the number of business ideas I have had and not done anything about only to find out someone is now doing the idea i had and making a sucess of it :roll: :roll: :roll: GO FOR IT