How would you handle this... being asked to help the competition get set up?

For a long time now I've had the only web-based forum in a particular niche... well, there have been Yahoo groups, but I don't count them because it isn't a good format for this niche, plus they're reportedly full of fighting members. Now a professional organization that heads up one of the larger Yahoo groups has finally decided their web site needs a real makeover, including a new forum, and I've been asked to submit a quote for my services in getting their new site and forum set up.

I haven't responded to them just yet because I'm not sure they realize that though their organization is non-profit, their forum would be the closest thing to a direct competitor I've seen yet. On the other hand, I could use the money, and if the Yahoo group fighting carried over to the new forum I might not have anything to worry about. Has anyone been in the situation of being asked to do work for your competition?

 

No, I have never been helped to help my competitor get set up.

Though, with us being designers, I am sure sooner than later we may be asked to design for a design site, which is no problem.

 

Yes, I've done it several times. I even host and do all the technical work for one : )

In addition to Blue Moon there, I have also assisted World Enough and Time with promotional and technical advice, along with a few others.

In your case, I would probably go for it. You need the money, as you say, and since you would probably be the administrator, you can also ensure that some of their traffic gets driven to your site.

 

I have, once. Here's how it went.


"Hey ____,

You were recently recommended to us to design a site and setup a forum for us, would you be willing to do this for us for a price that's reasonable?"


I wanted to shoot back a reply like this:

"Hi,

You can forget about doing such an idea because you would be competing with me..."


However, I sent something like this:

"Hey ____,

Sure. I would be more than happy to help out. I just hope you do realize you would be a competitor to me one day, and I hope that doesn't turn you off to the idea of starting a site. We can become "partners" in the sense we can help each other out if either one of us needed the help."

In essence, sure I would help them. Although at the same time I would try and outdo them in any way I could without resorting to low behavior to drive them away.

 

I like the way you handled it; I've been writing and rewriting my response to them in hopes of achieving the perfect tone, that will make them understand what they're asking me to do is not always in my best interests. But, as they say, keep your friends close and your "enemies" closer.

How did it work out?

 

I know some pretty evil stories about stuff like this.
I personally would never help a competitor without serious payback.