Here are some resources that will make it easier for you to gather information on your competition and give you a competitive edge:
1. Google Alerts: sign up at http://www.google.com/alerts to receive alerts via email whenever your competition is in the news. This will push information to you so that you don’t have to go searching for it.
2. Listen to your competition’s quarterly earning calls. These earnings calls allow you to hear what the company’s corporate strategy is and often highlight new products or services. Schedules and transcripts can be found under the Investor Relation section of their web site. You can also locate them on various web sites. Here are a couple that I use:
· http://www.123jump.com/
· http://www.seekingalpha.com/
3. Purchase something from your competitor so that you can experience the buying process first hand.
· Return the item so that you can understand how easy or cumbersome their return process is.