Etiquette

Wildfire Chilli Australia

Wildfire Chilli Australia

A little while ago whilst eating dinner with the family and eating a certain product, we came up with an idea that it would be nice to add a chilli twist to it. Since I have been flat out and just had another baby I was obviously in no rush to develop it too much yet. It is something that hasn't really been done before but I have just found out that another chilli company close by has just made it too. They only sell one type of product and it is another addition to what they sell.

Would it be bad/immoral/waste of time to do it as well? It's a great idea and I think it would do really well but I also don't want to be seen as "copying" them since they have brought it out first. Then again, most products have more than one company make it (how many Bhut Jolokia sauces are out there?) What are your thoughts?
 
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Do your thing!
I don't know about Australia, but here we have ketchup's in; Hunt's, Heinz, Western Family, etc. etc. You CANNOT taste any difference.
Same goes for mayonaise, pickles, cheese, the list is endless. I know hot sauces are a little more unique, and smaller scale, I'm just using those as examples.
How many have copied Tabasco? The fact that you are concerned shows class, and that's that.
This is business, move forward thru the quagmire of competition, and don't look back!

Do your thing!
 
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Pablo_h said:
Nothing wrong with going for it in a business sense.
The worst that can happen is the competition or their customers saying you copied them "nyah nyah nyah nah!", but nothing will come of it.
If you can live with that because you i) know it's not true, ii) that type of behavior doesn't bother you as you aren't a primary school kid anymore anyway; well there is no other downside.

Jack Daniels got away with trying to copy bourbon and even the label style of one brand, and now they're more famous than who they ripped off.
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Well i try not to copy anyone on purpose so i feel comfortable with i and will prob have to put up with ii if anyone says anything. The fact that you guys as customers don't care then that makes me feel more comfortable with the idea.

Prehensile said:
Just DO IT!!!!! Holden was founded before Aussie Fords but that didn't stop Ford did it?
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GO THE MIGHTY FORD's!!!

Scoville DeVille said:
Do your thing!
I don't know about Australia, but here we have ketchup's in; Hunt's, Heinz, Western Family, etc. etc. You CANNOT taste any difference.
Same goes for mayonaise, pickles, cheese, the list is endless. I know hot sauces are a little more unique, and smaller scale, I'm just using those as examples.
How many have copied Tabasco? The fact that you are concerned shows class, and that's that.
This is business, move forward thru the quagmire of competition, and don't look back!

Do your thing!
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Thank you.


Ok well thanks everyone, I will continue to work on it and not rush it and hopefully it is a success.
 
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I think the only issue is that you are not being honest with yourself - if you want to copy a great idea, go for it, but don't hide it behind stories of inspiration while eating a family meal...

...and don't go full circle and start accusing others of copying you...chilli karma burns.
 
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FunEd said:
I think the only issue is that you are not being honest with yourself - if you want to copy a great idea, go for it, but don't hide it behind stories of inspiration while eating a family meal...

...and don't go full circle and start accusing others of copying you...chilli karma burns.
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Man... :welcome: you got words...
Couldn't have put it any better if I were usin' THP's expressions....
I hope you stick around...
 
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FunEd said:
I think the only issue is that you are not being honest with yourself - if you want to copy a great idea, go for it, but don't hide it behind stories of inspiration while eating a family meal...

...and don't go full circle and start accusing others of copying you...chilli karma burns.
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Hi FunEd

:welcome:

I'm sorry you feel this way and everyone that knows me knows how honest I am and i even get told that I am too honest. I don't mind if you don't believe me because that is exactly how it happened. I have a 4yr old son and a 4 month old baby and run every aspect of my chilli business by myself with the occasional help from my mum. My life is hectic and I can't always get around to things "as I think of them". I have somewhere that I write my ideas down so I can get to it "later".

As it turns out I made it and I didn't think it was as great as what I imagined and decided not to go ahead with it anyway.

You really don't know my situation unless you are someone that knows me and is hiding behind this "funed" character? If so then I think you should say it to my face and be upfront.... But yes chilli karma burns and I know it isnt coming my way
 
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by the way I dont think it is a nice way to introduce yourself to this community by disbelief in people. Great way to make a first impression, I wonder if you really will stick around?
I don't understand why you are questioning me and don't think what I said is plausible? How else do you think people come up with ideas. Whoever came up with chilli mayonnaise was probably doing the exact same thing. Had some dinner and on their plate had a blob of mayo and a blob of chilli sauce and then went hang on what a great idea... :idea:
 
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burningtastebuds said:
As I have been following this post since you wrote this, I have not said anything, I can only presume that what you’re talking about is one of our new products that we are selling now. I have no issue for competition as its healthy for business but getting justification from a public forum (who we both use) is something I wouldn’t do, and the only reason why I write this as I noticed what you said not only where going to copy/borrow/remake/came up with whatever – is that you had attacked our business by saying that people would prefer to buy from you. That may be true ( I do try 100% to make people happy chilli people), for whatever reason again I would not use a public forum that both parties use and where we rub shoulders in various events here in Western Australia to discredit other businesses.
Our business now is completely different to what is when we first started so I don’t see the competition angle. The subtle hints of the new user of funed, it’s not me.
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I have not mentioned the name of the "other business" or the type of product or tried to discredit or attack them. Earlier on when I said that my customers are loyal and would prefer to buy off me, I didn't mean because the other company was bad or didn't make good products I meant that once customers like your products and are happy with your service then they usually continue coming back to you and prefer to buy off you. I'm sure if your customers are happy with your products then they would prefer to come back to you rather than go to the supermarket and buy other ones on the shelf. Same as any other business : printing, supermarket, clothes brands... In no other way have I "discredited" the other business.

The only reason why I asked on here is because I don't like doing the "wrong" thing and wanted to know what other people thought. I have been on this forum for years and respect everyones opinion on here. I don't like stepping on other people's toes and wanted to know if others thought it was ok.Don't worry in the future I will keep my thoughts to myself and just do what I think is right and not worry about anyone else.

I just also find it weird that funed would come on here and the very first and only comment is putting me down and calling me a liar. No subtle hints I just want to know if this person has a problem with me and why they would say that if they have never spoken to me.

I have no problem with you and know your company is different to what it was before and wish you luck with the direction you are heading in. In no way has this thread been started to "bash" other companies or put them down.
 
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In your opening post you said ...

"Would it be bad/immoral/waste of time to do it as well? It's a great idea and I think it would do really well but I also don't want to be seen as "copying" them since they have brought it out first.".....

All I have done is answer your question. I am sorry if the fact I don't type "DO IT! YOU ARE AWESOME!" offends you but I would say that posting a moral dilemma on an internet forum and requesting feedback may lead to people saying things you don't want to hear - surely that is obvious.

And playing the 'I'm a busy Mum' card is a bit weak. I am currently typing this inbetween feeding and bathing my 3 yr old and one year old while my 7 months pregnant wife has a nap. Does this make my argument more valid or make me immune from criticism too?

I think I will stick around though - thanks for the welcome x
 
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FunEd said:
In your opening post you said ...

"Would it be bad/immoral/waste of time to do it as well? It's a great idea and I think it would do really well but I also don't want to be seen as "copying" them since they have brought it out first.".....

All I have done is answer your question. I am sorry if the fact I don't type "DO IT! YOU ARE AWESOME!" offends you but I would say that posting a moral dilemma on an internet forum and requesting feedback may lead to people saying things you don't want to hear - surely that is obvious.

And playing the 'I'm a busy Mum' card is a bit weak. I am currently typing this inbetween feeding and bathing my 3 yr old and one year old while my 7 months pregnant wife has a nap. Does this make my argument more valid or make me immune from criticism too?

I think I will stick around though - thanks for the welcome x
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Yes I appreciate answers whether it is a yes or no, what I don't appreciate is you telling me that I'm hiding behind a "nice little story". The busy mum part is in response to why I did not get the product out first and why it would seem like copying.. that is all..
 
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Capitalism people! Cola was a good idea right? Coca-Cola was born, then came Pepsi and the others. That's life! Unless some patent or recipe was copied exactly it's just business. Consider it flattery, I mean really, who would be inspired by a bad idea? You may not like it, but it's the way the business world works. If you don't like it, don't go into business.
 
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As another sauce maker who is also selling sauces, this is my own PERSONAL OPINION! Just want to let everyone know it's only MY opinion, and that's all-

I view sauces like chili recipes.....everyone has a favorite and THEIR recipe is the BEST ever! If something as simple as Beans or No Beans is the difference between 2 chili recipes, how many more variations of Hot Sauce are there? How many fruit-based or carrot-based sauces are there?

We have many favorite sauces made by other people, some professionally made, some by home sauce makers. Some I wouldn't change a thing on and would never even attempt to recreate. Others, they might be an inspiration to take it in a different direction or make better. Something as simple as viscosity could be the difference between a Winner sauce and Meh~

Ideas are just that...ideas and inspirations. There's a million ideas in the world. Who had the inspiration to put a motor on a glider and make an airplane???

Unless someone sits there with a spoon and tastes-tastes-tastes their competitor's sauce with the intent of recreating the EXACT sauce the competitor made, everything else is fair game. Intentionally setting out to recreate something already on the market exactly as they do it is not cool in my opinion. Saying "I can do that better", that's the entrepenurial spirit that FINALLY made a better mouse trap!!! (although it was really funny seeing my brother-in-law get his finger snapped with one of the old-school mouse traps :lol: )

I also have had "questions" about bringing a product to market as I didn't want to seem like a "copycat", and I didn't vote when this first posted. Not any more. I know I've never copy-catted ANY recipe EVER.

And as a last note-
I've been working with Candice Burns on a project recently and she is 100% stand up.
 
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