The idea of “You Advise Me” is new, because there are actually no clear competitors dependent on Student Advisors; instead, we are assembling prospective students and preparing them for advising. In contrast, our indirect rivals may be university agents or long-term advisors and research collaborators.

Prospective collaborators could include universities and colleges who engage with the “You Advise Me” program; but, for the purposes of tracking and educating advisers, we would like to have an open relationship with them, not only to improve the consistency of “Power Calls,” but also to credential our advisors who can add value to the platform. Furthermore, working with universities in our second step can be a win-win scenario for both sides because it relieves universities of the burden of hiring external advisors to advise their enrolled students. Our licensed advisers will be able to organize an effective strategy for our client that is compliant with their policies by partnering with higher education organizations and programmes.

University agents (student recruiters) who are able to send students a free advice call in exchange for endorsing private sector schools, colleges, and high tuition fee universities in exchange for a high percentage of commission are potential rivals.

Relationship management entails more than just a buyer–seller relationship; rather, it centers on coordination and communication between a company and its customers (Ackerman & Schibrowsky, 2007-2008). Relationship management, in this context, refers to the learning relationships established between faculty members or mentors and students (clients) in order to coordinate and share responsibilities for learning (Baxter Magolda & King, 2004).