Your competitors. Whether they are your friends or not, they can make you crazy even if they have no intention of doing that.

Someone will always be better at certain things than you are. That fact can be paralyzing when it comes to owning a small business. When our competitors win a big award, get major press for an event, or throw a killer party, we suddenly set a new standard for ourselves that we try to compete on. Their success gets in our head and can mess with our confidence.

What to do when you feel flustered/jealous/paralyzed by what your competition is doing:

• Unsubscribe from everything related to their business. Don’t follow them on social media, unsubscribe from their email newsletter, don’t ask how many weddings they have booked for next year. Sometimes we need to refocus on doing what is right for us and for our specific business goals without the influence of what anyone else is doing.

• Take time to appreciate and respect your natural abilities. Sure, your main competitor may be a social media genius but does she have the design skill or networking finesse that you do? We each have our strengths. If you have trouble remembering yours, write them down where you can see them daily. Then read your list every.single.day.

• Get clear on the feelings that your competitor’s success evokes for you. Do you feel less confident about your own work when you see your competition win an award? If so, what can you do to feel more confident about your skills? Maybe you could use a one-on-one coaching session with an experienced business coach. Or perhaps you sign up for a class to take your design skills to the level you desire. Or maybe you attend an upcoming wedding industry conference that gives you skills and knowledge to increase confidence in your planning abilities.

These blog posts will help too:

3 Ways to Set Yourself Apart from the Competition

Inspired by the Competition

Smoke and Mirrors in the Events Industry