Is "Ethical Stalking" the Key to Market Research?

When it comes to market research in government contracting, the American Small Business Coalition's Guy Timberlake has some controversial advice: Stalk your competitors. And your customers.
The term "ethical stalking started as a joke," Timberlake says. "It stuck because it really is what you're doing in all the right ways -- building a business case for why the government should work with you."

Fill in the Blanks with Public Information

When Timberlake talks about stalking, he's not referring to calling your customers and hanging up, or following them down the street. Instead, his "ethical stalking" concept involves using information in the public domain to "fill in the blanks of what information you already have or have access to."