Comments on: Two Clients, One Industry – Trouble?

By: Cody

Cody — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:43:03 +0000

I personally work for a company that has MANY real estate agents in the same area as clients. We mostly provide each one with the same services (web design, email, hosting, etc) and they all know that we work for the competition. I think disclosure is all that’s needed in this sort of situation. If they aren’t comfortable with it, then Mike is right, you don’t want that kind of hassle.

The hard part to me is keeping the companies separate, and reserving myself so that it doesn’t seem that I am helping one company get ahead over the others.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:02:38 +0000

I agree that it’s not a problem. I work primarily as IT support, but my contacts are mostly all from competing firms. I can’t help but work for competitors, but it sure does make me feel valued moving among them.

I take care not to disclose anything that might be valuable from once place to the next, but I do regularly do the same kinds of projects for competing companies- and why not? I’ve gotten good at doing it many times.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:22:38 +0000

I don’t see why this is a problem. As Jean-François points out, it’s common practice for consultants to work with multiple firms, including firms that compete.

You’re not an employee. You’re a business owner. Just as a dentist is free to accept any patient, you’re free to work with anyone.

You shouldn’t sign anything that restricts who your customers are, and as long as you’re professional and respect confidentiality, you should have no problem working with multiple companies in the same niche. I’ve been doing it for years.

By: Jean-Francois Arseneault

Jean-Francois Arseneault — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:29:08 +0000

It’s common practice for very large consulting firms to work with many players in a given industry, who are obviously competitors. I don’t see aything wrong with that, given someone professional will keep confidential what they work with.

By: Aks

Aks — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:24:13 +0000

I agree with Mike, some clients are just not worth the bother. I only like to work with people who trust me and respect me.

As long as one can legally work for others i think its okay.

On the disclosure front, I would as soon as possible set up a professional blog/website and list both under clients and make it public knowledge.