Everyone Else Is Doing It

It is so easy to use what others are doing when it comes to your business especially when you see their success. In most cases there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Follow their lead and add your own spin to this making it your own.

If everyone does the same thing there is nothing that stands out about you. That is where the problem with this method comes in. You sell candles out of a box as your gimmick and you are good at it, several will come along and do that same thing. And the reason why people do that? "Everyone else is doing it."

There are a few times you do not what to use the "Everyone else is doing it" line. This includes illegal activity. Now you think deceit, theft, fraud, or as I call it - lying, taking, faking, or anything else. Did you know there is more out there that some justify and is accepted as being ok?

Now I love my Disney items and I love crafting Disney inspired items for personal use. Now lets say you take Mickey Mouse and put his face on a t-shirt and sold these. If you did not get licensing from Disney to sell these Disney items you are infringing on copyright and trademarks owned by Disney. Now Disney items are not the only items in which this is occurring and only using it as an example of things I do see out there. In fact I seen a so-called reputable boutique selling outifts handmade using copyright and trademark images for resale without permission. They even complained their account on a website dedicated to crafters was closed because the lawyers of this company went to the owners of the crafting site and demanded all copyright infringed items be removed immediately. The comment came up that "everyone else is doing it" and that company is just greedy by going after the small people. Well as an artist if you create an image and hold the copyrights to it, you have to go after anyone, big and small, who is using the image unlawfully to hold any ground in court. And you know what? They are still selling these outfits even knowing these lawyers and putting a stop it it.

Now just because "everyone else is doing it" doesn't mean it is not illegal and cannot get you in hot water. Would you want someone to take your copyrighted image or trademark design and pass it off as theirs? How about that hair bow design you worked so hard to come up with and someone steals your idea?

Now the time you want to say "everyone else is doing it" is being successful. Do what you love and work it as a business. Don't just put a link out there because "everyone else is doing it." Make your mark and stand out.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009-2011