Competitors can save your life. As a small business owner and Personal Assistant, you have limited resources, so turn your competitor into your helper and expand your business coverage. You can also form friendly alliances with service partners that are not in direct competition with you but offer similar services.

Where is your business located and how large or small is your service area? You may have to go further than you prefer in order to fully service your clients and be profitable. Then again, you might be able to refer business to someone else on the edge of your service area. Think of it as a small payback bank. Your Personal Assistance competitor will refer business back to you when it is out of his/her service area.

Also, instead of losing a whole day doing one service for one client, you can ask your competitor to handle it while you provide more Personal Assistant services for other clients. No, your competitor will not steal your client because your client is too far away to be profitable. Your client, however, will be pleased at how well you managed to organize this task and you will be glad you could spread your business between multiple clients that day.

If your competitor is local and the two of you are not willing to risk losing a client to each other, you can still consider other ways of consolidating your resources without directly involving your clients. Marketing is expensive and sometimes iffy, but a shared expense could help both of you. You could also share referrals for good business and professional services at good prices or even consolidate orders for volume discounts from printers, office suppliers and other vendors.

If you and your direct competitor cannot come to an agreement, you may sometimes need to refer a valued client out or risk disappointing your client. If you are too busy or short-handed to service your account, you would rather recommend your competitor then tell your client "No." You can control the situation by explaining this to your client and acting as the contact between your client and your competitor. Ask the competitor to bill you for the service and then you can bill your client. This isn't so you can tack on a service fee. Your customer will appreciate you making sure they are well-taken care of; while you limit your competitor's contact with your client.

As a professional Personal Assistant, you will often be asked to perform a service you do not do and this is your opportunity to form a relationship with another small business person who is not in direct competition with you. Nannies, concierges, errand runners, home improvement handypersons, bakers, pet sitters and others can help you help your clients. These good service partners will also want to repay you with referrals for services they do not provide. Simply tell your clients, "We don't but we can refer you to our friends at XYZ Company." Your clients will return for the wonderful services you provide and they will be glad to have a professional referral for their other needs.

Join professional organizations and attend their meetings. You will have the chance to meet your competitors and other business persons and form friendly alliances with them. Common problems, expenses and concerns can be shared and solved together. Some of these business partners may become your allies and help you in other areas as your business grows.

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