How do I protect myself?

[stirling]

Hello, quick question for those in the know!
I run a fairly successful business and in the last few years I've had a couple of opportunistic snakes lying in the grass, watching, and using some rather underhand methods to encroach on my business - resources, materials, even watching how I do it, then setting up their own.

A new parent is interested to enrol her student but her educational background is similar to mine. I've asked if she's happy to put in writing she has no interest in doing the same and she's happily agreed.

How can I protect myself? Will an email suffice? Should I ask her to sign a "contract" I make up? Should I get in touch with a solicitor? Thanks

The short answer is you probably can't. Other people are free to compete with you provided they don't infringe your copyright or patents. You can try to put a restrictive covenant in place preventing them from competing with you, but there is a good chance the courts would not uphold it.

Thank you prh47bridge, helpful but of course worrying. Perhaps I just won't take her on