I'm from the Chicago board, and when I was posting, it doesn't seem like competition at all.....there are many varieties of women and varieties of hobbyists......what one hobbyist may like, the next one might not.......so I don't feel like its competition because everyone is different and likes different things

Well yes, there is no question that a feeling of competition exists at times. No different from the competition that exists between Coke and Pepsi. We are after all, trying to sell the same product in the same market.

THere is a difference though between doing things like updating our ads, keeping our websites up to date and interesting, updating pics etc in an effort to stand out in the crowd, versus bashing another provider in an effort to discredit her. For one thing, bashing another provider is probably going to backfire on her, and I hope that it does. Criticizing another provider, regardless of whether its her rates, her looks, performance, or anything else, is simply over the line. That isn't friendly competition, its petty and immature.

We share the same client pools but we don't compete as in the case of a stripper with the girl sitting next to us.  And, IMHO, I think the competitive ones are idiotic in that sense.  The more people who hobby and have good experiences, with or without YOU, the more gents will hobby and bring their friends to the hobby and that's good for all of us.

We increase our market by managing our menu, being professional and responsible, marketing and, above all, being consistent. There's a ton of ways to be more or less attractive to clients.  But even in the case of saturated markets, there are plenty of things we can do to stand out without being a catty bitch or competitive.

I've had providers contact me whom I have not met, but were "Sent" my way by ladies who know me, sometimes with an email in advance from my provider friend

I've seen providers who have suggested to me that I would enjoy a particular lady or ladies.

I've never had any prob having timely references given on my behalf.

I think most of the ladies know that a core part of the hobby for most of us is variety....

There may not be as much competition as you think.
I look at a site like the rare-companion and if there are pictures and everything else is the same then I will pick a person who is attractive to me which may not the same for the next guy, because everyone is attracted to a certain "look"

I also consider price, distance, services, reviews.
So it is not always coke vs, pepsi, but coke, vs, Dr pepper, mountain dew, sprite, ginger ale.