Don’t Cancel Me for This

Not going to lie, I’m a little nervous to bring this topic up because I know how passionate people are about it.
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But if you’re a business owner, then we’ve got to talk about “dupe culture.”​
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Lol, yes, as in the viral dupes you see being promoted by your favorite influencers, like the Lululemon legging dupes, Anthropologie mirror dupes, perfume dupes, etc. You name it, and there’s a dupe for it.
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And, if you’re like, “Wait, what do those dupes have to do with my small business?”. Just hear me out.
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First and foremost, I’m not anti-dupe or here to tell you not to purchase dupes. Some of my favorite people, like my sister, love their dupes, and I’ve also bought some.
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But when you think about it, “dupe” is short for “duplicate.” It’s an identical copy of a product for a lower price.
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Many of our favorite creators have built their entire account off of sharing dupes or replicas for name-brand items – and we love them for it.
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Yet, as business owners, we get upset when people steal our Instagram content, website copy, offer ideas, and so on.
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And while I get that Lululemon isn’t hurting because someone has created and sold a dupe for their leggings, that’s still not a sound legal argument for why it’s okay, lol.
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Someone has pretty much created an exact copy of another product and is making tons of money off it.
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If you’re a business owner who respects trade secrets and intellectual property, you have to respect it in other people’s business, regardless of the size difference. Do you see what I mean?​
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If this has got your wheels turning, even as a dupe lover, I encourage you to listen to today’s podcast episode on why popularizing dupe culture might hurt small businesses.
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This episode is a light-hearted conversation to help us take a step back and ask ourselves if we’re participating in something we wouldn’t be okay with for our own business.
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​In this episode of the On Your Terms podcast, we cover:​
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✔️ The problem(s) with dupe culture
✔️ How my fascination for dupe culture began, lol
✔️ Where dupe culture originated
✔️ Are dupes actually as good as the original?
✔️ The ways dupe culture might perpetuate copycat culture in small business

​You can listen to my interview with Katie on Apple, Spotify, or directly on my podcast page.

​📣 Oh, and if all this dupe talk has got you wanting to be proactive about protecting your business from copycats, be sure to:​
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1. Download my brand-new (free) Legally Legit™️ Biz checklist to knock out these steps, with me by your side.

2. Watch my free legal workshop “5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Business”.

3. Checkout the Ultimate Bundle™️. It gives you all the legal contracts & policies you need, plus access to me in our Private Community for support, and loads of video trainings on every question you’ve ever worried about (like what to do if someone doesn’t pay you, whether you can work with minors, what to do if someone steals your content, how to form an LLC, how to get biz insurance & so much more).

​Learn more about the Ultimate Bundle here, and email me “I want the Bundle” and I’ll send you a link for $400 off, plus 3 free extra legal templates.