Where I live in coastal Virginia, one of the most popular “things you do with kids to get them outside and off screens” is strawberry picking when the weather turns nice and warm. 

Most of us are familiar with the “picking” activities of the fall. Some people go pumpkin picking for the pumpkins, some go to take pictures of their babies, and the rest of us go for the apple cider donuts. When I lived in Annapolis, we’d go apple picking in middle-of-nowhere Maryland so that we could get outside, get more donuts, and spend the next two weeks trying to get rid of the 437 extra apples on the kitchen counter.

In my pumpkin and apple picking experience, after you do the picking, you ...

You’re chatting with a regular when they casually mention the news. Or maybe you’re scrolling Instagram when you come across a cheery, sponsored “We’re Hiring” post. Or, maybe worst of all, you spot a shiny, new “Coming Soon” sign in the window across the street.

No matter how it happens, nothing will ruin your day like learning a direct competitor is coming to your block, to your community, or just too close for comfort.

Competition in business is as certain as death and taxes - it’s only a matter of time before you’re going head to head with another business that will compete for your customers' attention and money.

And while you can negotiate an exclusive in your lease, that doesn...