• Research your competition honestly. Never mislead competitors by pretending to be a client. Instead, set up a Google alert with your competitor’s name in quotes. Each time they’re in the news, you’ll receive an e-mail alert. Check out their Web site to learn more about their products, services and business philosophy.

• Introduce yourself to your competitors. Savvy business people know that there’s enough business for everyone. If a competitor is up to his or her eyeballs in clients, they may send a few clients your way. Or if you’re in different cities, you may be able to partner on different projects.

• Offer to pay for a competitor’s time. If a competitor is willing to offer you advice, be willing to pay for it. While they may not accept your offer, you’re making it clear to them that their time is valuable.

• Talk to people who are using a competitor’s products or services and find out what’s missing. Maybe your competitor is missing something that you could add to enhance your product or service. Consumers will always have a different view of your industry than you.

Take the time to research ways to grow your business, yet make it different from a competitor’s business. No one likes a copycat.

When I look back at my career and think about every job I’ve ever had, I realize I’ve experienced the same thing. At first I’d learn everything I could and then eventually I’d go into autopilot.  There was nothing new to learn, my boss refused to do anything differently and I quit using my business skills.

Working from home has changed everything.  As my own boss, I can’t afford to sit back and coast through each business day.  Instead, I make a conscious effort to develop more skills. This keeps me in the loop and keeps my business from being left behind.  There are a few ways to do the same.

• Sign up for webinars in your field. You could spend a solid year (virtually) attending every webinar offered on the Web and still you couldn’t attend all of them. The good news is that because there are many free, quality webinars out there, your only investment is time.

• Read whatever and whenever you can. The Internet is filled with articles on almost any topic you can think of. So why not take advantage of free advice from experts around the world? Advice from business books will cost you more, but if you switch to ebooks you’ll spend less than you would on a traditional book and you’ll be able to take hundreds of books with you at all times that weigh next to nothing.

• Get involved in online forums. Forums are a great way to network with others and build business relationships that will help you grow your business. The bottom line is that you don’t have to meet face-to-face with someone to share ideas and information.

• Enroll in classes you can take online or in person. Either way, classes involve time and money. Decide whether the investment is worth it.

As my son continues to develop his driving skills, I continue to learn new ways to grow my business. I’m also getting better at not pressing an imaginary brake while he’s driving.