In a totally made-up poll, 100 out of 100 business people confessed that they’d gladly step into James Bond’s shoes were they but given the chance. That may be comfortably outside the realm of possibility, but a milder sort of espionage may well be within your grasp, if you know a few simple steps to get yourself started.

You may not be crossing international borders or saving the world, but you’ll still be able to gain a few insights about your competitors, their strategy, and their potential weaknesses. There are a lot of ways to do this, but we’ll cover some of the most likely starting points below.

1. Start with a Search

The obvious place to start is with a simple web search for the brand you’re interested in. Right away you’ll probably