>I've been developping an application over the last year for a vertical market. I'm not done with it yet but at this stage it's already used by some companies.
>
>Now here's the catch. A big company that has already develop solutions for that same vertical market is going to develop an application very similar to the one I've been working on.
>
>Now how much should I panic here? Keep in mind that I'm a one man band and that this competitor company has a lot more resources than I.
>
>What should be my next move? Approach that competitor to show them what I did so far hoping that they will make me an interesting offer. Offer that could be to get me to join them or get me to sell them what I did? Should I offer them my services because of all the things that I know so far about that solution?
>
>Do you have suggestions on things to do so I won't be left with nothing in the long run? Is there a site that could give me more help on that? Is there a book that I could get?

First, take a contiguous printout of your code, jpeg screen shots, etc., time and date stamp them with a copyright notice and have several critical pages at the beginng and end of the contiguous printout stamped and signed by a Notary Public.
Then see an attorney.