Family member copied my business idea!

[EnidsHoliday]

AIBU to be rather annoyed?

I started an online business venture about 8 weeks ago and have had better than expected success so far (made about £500 in the first full month and it's growing!). I won't go into too much detail as outing but think along the lines of social media/shopping/etc.

It's a relatively niche area of which I have some experience with the target audience etc. I started it to help subsidise my maternity pay.

An immediate family member has basically copied and pasted my entire idea and is now running a virtually identical business, competing for pretty much the same customers! They have a full time job and so have said it is just a hobby for them.

Not sure if I'm overreacting or how to handle? They kept it quiet for the first couple of weeks as they were scared I'd be upset(!).

Oh my! That’s terrible. I’d go no contact!

Yer maw? Woweeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Woah.
Your own mother. Speechless.

Gosh that's so awful of your mum!!!

If I were you I would just focus on your business. Is she tagging you on social media stuff to get more attention from your followers as potential customers? If so, I would be untagging! You could actually block her so she can't see your social media stuff so easily.

I wouldn't discuss anything business related while she was in the room. I would make some changes to my business to make it look more different to hers. thats so annoying though. Poor you. Rise above it!

She sounds a real Narcissist you poor thing.

Is she copying at every step OP?? Have you blocked her from your business page so she can't see ?

That's a very sad state of affairs right there!

Well at least you know she won't stick at it for very long. And I'd seriously go low contact. She's really not got your best interests at heart. At all.

She is either very stupid or very selfish. I wouldn't stand for it and would get a solicitor involved if possible.

Pure bloody evil. You do all the work and she nips in a copies it all.

Your mum??? I really don't know how you would deal with that. Hopefully this will fail as her other ventures seem to have, but who needs enemies with a mum like that!

I really want to say something but don't want to fall out! I need to get more of a backbone lol...

Yeah my DP thinks it's disgusting! Especially as mine isn't meant to be a hobby it's meant to help with maternity (and hopefully make enough that I don't need to go back to a normal job and put DC in childcare when maternity is over!)

You could contact the hosting platform and inform them of the potential copyright infringement - a "take down notice". (There are legal requirements so I suggest you research this or get advice) but it is tempting!

She sounds toxic. Do you get anything positive from your relationship with her?

For some reason I find it so much more hurtful that it is your mother and not a sister or cousin or whatever. I feel that mothers should always have your back.

Never ever tell her what you plan to do ever again. Or tell her that you are writing a book. You can claim to do that for bloody decades.

I would have thought it gives you the perfect opportunity to fall out. What a truly horrible person she is. Is it worth a solicitors letter?

Op it’s shit what your mum has done completely.

But I didn’t think you were allowed to earn/work during maternity leave as you’d forfeit your maternity pay? Are you declaring this income on a self assessment?

no advice, cant believe your mum did this to you

You try to have some fun with it. Come with some crackpot idea and then could casually mention that you have a great new idea for the business, can’t wait to set it up and it will be a great step forward but just haven’t quite got the time to do it yet.... See if she takes the bait.

Agree with everyone else it’s worse as it’s your mum and to be copying every post etc. Can you black her at all?

Sorry block not black

Your mum!

Do talk to her. Tell her plainly, loudly, repeatedly, that her actions are taking money from her GCs household. Every sale she makes is directly taking food fro her GCs mouth. That her selfishness and stupid competitiveness and jealousy is endangering your livelihood and that you do NOT forgive her.

Fall out with her. She doesn't treat you as a daughter, so why bother according her the politeness usually due a parent? Any fall out will be of her making, not yours!

And if none of that helps you find a backbone try this:

Stop fucking around and putting your DMs feelings before your own child's security!

Thy are a cf but use this as an opportunity to make your business more robust as if it was easy for relative to create the identical business then others will be able to easily too

Myname that is only during the first 2 weeks of ML. After that it is fine, you just have to do the HMRC thing

I have a mother like this.
I started working with children - so she got a childcare qualification
My sister qualified as a mental health nurse - so she got a better mental health qualification
I changed entire professional field so she used to demean me as she could not copy me! I ended up making things up just to wind her up. She was always asking about my earnings so I always added £20K pa. She was never proud, she would seethe internally with jealousy!

The trick is whatever you are both doing , you need to DO IT BETTER!

She will not be able to compete and then she will lose interest. Get ALL of your friends to comment on your social media posts and on HERS about how your website is the best for this type of stuff. This way, her social media will be advertising and directing potential buyers to your website. Do a blog about how what differentiates your customer experience and items for purchase.

And don't feel guilty about it - she shafted you. Honestly, she sounds like an jealous witch. Why can't some mums just be proud of their children instead of competing with them!!!

@mynameisjune it's fine to earn money in a self employed basis during maternity leave, you just aren't allowed to have another employer. Lots of people earn money through other means while on maternity leave from selling stuff, providing services like cleaning or whatever or renting out properties they own. It's allowed :)