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Friendships with Potential Business Rivals


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ALonerAgain

I have a sideline in arts and craft making, particularly hula hoops. I also teach hoop classes.

 

A woman recently attended one of my hoop-meets in the interest of 'pumping me' for info on making them. She openly said her plan was to make and sell them on the beach. Her demeaner was quite sweet and she seemed quite genuine. As I'm all for helping, I was glad to discuss this (and other aspects of hoop talk) with her.

 

However, I've recently come to see a side of her that makes me question her character.

 

I recently organised a Hoop Picnic and invited members of the hoop community to it. She was one of the attendees. We all seemed to be having fun and enjoying ourselves.

 

However, whenever a passer-by wanted to come try out the hoops (which to be fair, weren't all mine), I noticed that she would be quick to 'befriend' them, be overly complimentary to them and then mention that she makes them and proceed to hand out her contact details.

 

One of the other attendees quietly commented on her brazen actions to which another one said, 'well all in the name of business'.

 

It happened again when a group of teens came by. I think other people were starting to realise what this woman was up to as well when one of my hoop friends said out loud, 'Yeah she makes hoops too [pointing to me] She can give you her contact details.'

 

It's not that I don't want her to have her own hoop business. She can do it in her own time. But I was quite put out by this woman's 'predator' behaviour, mainly because the whole point of organising the event wasn't to promote business (if people asked, I do offer details and I did manage to get 2 potential customers as well) but to bring the hooping community together in light-hearted fun. Suffice to say that I ended up feeling an undercurrent of rivalry between her and myself.

 

I realise she seems to be operating on the "Keep your friends close and [rivals] closer" and that she doesn't really see me as a 'friend' (even though I notice she's being 'overly nice' to me), but as a contact for her potential business. In other words I see through her.

 

I have a feeling that if I don't get pro-active about this, she will end up tagging along to future gatherings and do the exact same thing.

 

I was wondering if anybody had advice regarding how I should handle my relationship with her?

Edited by ALonerAgain
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