AIBU or have I just been extremely naive?

[ClittyClittyGangBang]

I have NC'd for this, think I might get flamed.

I sell handmade crafts and soaps, vintage bits and pieces and the odd piece of retro furniture. There are some shabby chic in there as well. I also sell chalk paint. At the moment I am based out of my garage and my kitchen and had been looking at a property for a while.

Moving into a shop will also mean my sister can have an outlet for her dressmaking and haberdashery bits that she sells.

Anyhow, a retail shop close to us became vacant months ago but no one was interested as it had been a really dodgy takeaway. We viewed and worked out that we could afford the rent between the two of us. The only problem was the refitting of the shop, so I approached a builder who I know personally for a quote for a strip out of the kitchen and counter and obligatory fish tank.

Anyhow, he was quite taken up with what we wanted to do. He listened to what we wanted and then gave us a quote which was a little higher than we had expected. We then approached the letting agent, imagine our surprise from being the only person interested to the shop had suddenly been rented out earlier that day. A change of usage notice was posted on the door, so I guessed it was going to be a shop of some kind.

Roll on a few months, and guess who is starting up a business in there selling all of the above? The builder's wife. Guess what she is selling? Exactly the same stock as we were going to have, she is on FB posting about all of her "vintage stock". Guess how they have done the decor? Exactly to our specification.

Am I right to be devastated or AIBU and this is just how people do "business"?

Thanks for your wise words, watermarks on my pics are the way forward. Also, going to be using the wording suggested by some posts.

The post about crafts is spot on. I have been doing this now for a few years and have sort of morphed into my own style and range. I am now thinking that perhaps a Masterclass to teach people or selling as Rainy Day Kits is a way to move forward.

"I dont wish to sound harsh but you havent lost 50% of your business with your sister as you werent up and running yet."

Perhaps I did not word it correctly, we were basically going to be splitting the outgoing costs exactly 50% each, but our stock and profits were going back to us as individuals to either keep as salary or reinvest. We ran a pop up shop on the same basis a couple of years ago and it worked really well. Her price tickets were blue, mine were green. Any extra stuff we bought together at the wholesaler were white, the profits from these went towards the business.

It was great and it all seemed to come together. Perhaps being sisters makes it easier to make business decisions.

It is odd because last night I was feeling really deflated about it all, but in the last three hours I have been thinking of ways to move forward as a sold trader again. Lots of designing and product costing going on this morning.

Once again, thank you to all of you for your feedback, really appreciated.

sole trader, apologies.

Honestly, although I can completely see how you feel sick at what has happened, I'm not convinced that your location would have brought you much success anyway, and you might have had a lucky escape. I work in a similar industry, and it is HARD, even without your row of shops smelling of chip fat.

I would definitely go with a cease and desist letter. Posting on their facebook page is pointless, because they will just delete your comment. You could post a statement on your own, along the lines of

"Thank you for all the support you have given My Shabby Chic Business. As many of you know, I was planning to open a shop in the town centre, but unfortunately a contractor who quoted me for the work saw fit to take the lease himself, and he and his partner are opening an almost identical business there, so I will be looking for a different location later in the summer. Please let me know if you see anybody stealing any more of my photography!"

No rambling blame, no names of people or places, just a statement of what you are up to.

I'm sorry for you OP, you've learnt a harsh lesson. The fact is you had an easily replicated business idea and you shared it without protecting it in any way.

It sounds like you are already picking yourself up. If I were you I would stop following them on Twitter and just look at their Facebook page periodically (or ask someone else to do it for you) to make sure they aren't passing your work off as theirs.

The faster you can develop your own business without reference to what could have been, the stronger it will be. Wishing you lots of luck

I'm sorry for you. But you massively need to toughen up.

Karma may not bite this business, it may be successful. But that is not your concern, you're concern is not letting them fuck you over any more so:

Tell everyone you come into professionally what they did. Do you know other business people that she might rip off? If so, warn them.

Take screen shots of anything.

Fire off a cease and desist letter. You just need to do this to stop them doing this again. She obviously thinks it's OK to do this, warn her off.

Well done on picking yourself up.

In my experience the difference between winners and also-rans is the ability to turn a setback into an advantage.

The big pluses of this incident is

1. Big wake up call about protecting your intellectual property
2. Finding out now that your sister can't or won't handle setbacks. Faced with a challenge she has thrown in the towel pretty quickly, as is her right if she wishes. But that means she might not have been the best partner for you. Best to let her go gracefully and not to risk a family fall out later on.
3. I think you dodged a bullet by losing that shop. Location sounds totally wrong, and it would have been expensive to refit.
4. Forcing you to refine your business model and find a USP. let's face it the market is starting to hit saturation. Even if you are the only vintage craft in the area, someone would have set up as a rival sooner or later. By doing it sooner before you invested in property and stretched yourself she has done you a massive favour.
5. If she lacks talent and ideas you can always sell your 'original and best' stuff to her, sounds like you have a following anyway, and this might help you to capitalise on your brand loyalty.

Good luck OP you sound like you have your head screwed on, hope it all works out for you.

Very good point re selling stock to her.

She hasn't got the know how, you do.

She obviously likes your stuff! You could make profit from the shop without the overheads that way.

Do we really think this woman who has stolen Op's designs and ideas, style for her shop and photographs, been reported on FB and posted a rant about OP being selfish and potentially received a cease and desist letter from a solicitor will jump at the chance to sell OP's products in her shop?

And why on earth would OP go for that either? Soured social relationship bad enough but this woman is a sneak- she's not trustworthy to go into a business relationship with.

Because she is running a business. She hasnt done ANY of those things yet.

Who is running a business and hasn't done any of thise things yet?

The OP is running a business. And she hasn't given the woman beef on facebook or a solicitors letter as yet.

Its a interesting thought in my opinion. You don't have to agree, so feel free to carry on giving me humphy faces if you must.

Weekend seminars, weekday classes that around a school run - teach others. A lot of people feel they can do think by themselves and would rather fork out for Annie Sloan paint and a class than 200 quid for an upcycled piece of furniture.

You will also effectively take a lot of business away from her because it doesn't sound like she's better than average joe copying things off pininterest.

Also, may I say I have been on a 6 month waiting list for a beginners sewing course?

Gold mine for your sister.

Bloody autocorrect typos

The OP is running a business. And she hasn't given the woman beef on facebook or a solicitors letter as yet.

No the woman has been reported on FB by OP for using OP's photos, and the woman posted a comment about OP being selfish and spoiling her excitement. I also forgot OP has also left voicemails about the photos too.

Other people were suggesting OP write a cease and desist letter and then some others, not just you (share the humpy faces around- dont be selfish now ) were suggesting OP go into bloody business with the woman! Madness- the woman is a sleekid backstabber. Why on earth would that be someone you'd trust with your income and brand name?

It was only an idea, I thought it was interesting. Dont get why people get so snarky honestly.

Because it's a bad idea.

What about opening a new website at snark.com and selling humpy face cushions?

you really cut deep with that one harold. Shame on you. I'm in bits here.

Your going through a lot of emotions here from to to

Have a and perhaps with a

When was i smiling? I didnt smile! How dare you accuse me of such an act. Now i'm [shocked]

In fact i'm so it's affected my ability to post the correct emoticon.

There is something about your Unique Selling Point and who you are selling these products too.
Think about your clients. Who are they? What do they like? What sort of products do you think they will really enjoy (items, training maybe even short course as a webinar?? I don't know. It's nott area but I'm sure you get the idea).
The one thing this shop isn't going to have is an idea of who the customers are and what they like. It's one thing selling lots of bits and bobs and another to develop your own style with your own customers. The first one is likely to struge, the arcing will thrive.

I have to say I lovebtheceaynyiu have bounced back up and didn't let honest people set you back for long. Go for it!!! :)

Keep reporting the photos - that is bang out of order & as much theft as if she came and stole your dresser and was trying to sell that.

The builder has probably breached confidentiality rights - you confided in him your business ideas/plan, as you needed to do so as he was a professional tradesman. He breached any duty of confidentiality he may have had for you. Now it would probably cost a fortune to take such an action, but OP it wouldn't cost anything to do a bit of research online and draft a letter telling them you are going to take action for breach of confidentiality. Maybe you could get help via MN legal threads> Now THAT would piss on their chips.

Otherwise I agree with what someone said well upthread - keep doing what you are doing and wait. Very soon that business will be free to rent again, but this time all kitted out for you.

Definitely sell stock to builder's wife-at a 200% mark-up, of course!

She'll fail because she won't sustain a design-based business when she can't create, she copies.

But learn the lesson-get a solicitor, agree some fees for basic services to help you with copyright and design right, write letters etc so if this happens in the future you can get onto it quickly and cheaply.

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But learn the lesson-get a solicitor, agree some fees for basic services to help you with copyright and design right, write letters etc so if this happens in the future you can get onto it quickly and cheaply.