Many businesses only consider their competition to be other businesses who provide the same product or service. Thus, Barnes & Noble might only consider Borders or WaldenBooks to be its competitors. But a business' competitor is any other entity with which that business' customers might compare it (Connellan 17-18).
For example, a customer who mail orders a book from Barnes & Noble might have to confirm his or her address with FedEx before the book can be delivered. That customer now has an opportunity to compare Barnes & Noble's customer service with FedEx's customer service. If Barnes & Noble fares poorly in the comparison, that customer might very well consider trying Borders the next time he or she needs to order a book. Another example could be the customer who regularly shops at Barnes & Noble, but has always been just a little dissatisfied with the selection and service. Still, it's a large store, so she can usually find something that will fit her needs. But then she shops at CostCo one day and is simply blown away by the selection and service there. After that experience, she no longer wants to settle for Barnes & Noble's "good enough" selection and service and instead seeks out another book store, perhaps WaldenBooks, that provides the same shopping experience she experienced at CostCo. What Lesson One and the above examples demonstrate is that every business is competing with their customers' experiences of other businesses, whether or not any of the businesses provide similar products and services.
A graphic designer for any business may often provide a customer or potential customer's first impression of that business. Graphic designers conceive and create documents that advertise and explain their company's products and services to both external and internal customers. These documents are often aimed at comparing the company's products with those offered by similar companies. Thus, graphic designers n...