Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Thoughts on the business world

Business is a very difficult thing in the cut and thrust of the real world. It's dog eat dog, survival of the fittest and so on and so forth, all tired clichés I know, but still very pertinent

Here are a list of points concerning the business world. This comes from several years of experience at being self employed and seeing how many businesses work.

The first Meeting

Many people have the mistaken belief that because a person is well mannered and speaks softly that somehow they can be trusted. Of course manners and a nice presentation do help, but substance is required rather than a lot of honeyed words.

Beware of men with honeyed words as they have a hidden contempt for the gullibility of others and will use this unfortunate human trait to their own full advantage.

I'd rather deal with someone who was honest and straightforward, even blunt to the point of being rude, if it meant he was telling the whole truth about a business proposal. No side, no manipulation, just the straight honest facts. In fact many would be willing to pay more for an upfront honest deal if they knew they were going to get what they promised. That would be a real and honest way to make money wouldn't it ?

More money to be made there I am sure.

Taking on a job

Many a job is taken on trust, OK, take the trust on with your best mate, your brother, and even that can't be guaranteed. Many jobs are taken on with expansive promises that cannot or will not be met, but one cannot see that behind that smile or the apparent creditability.

In business never ever take the word of another business man because what he says he will do will rarely if ever translate into what he actually intends to do. Put it all down on paper with a proper written contract that details in infuriating detail exactly what is to be done and make the other guy sign on the dotted line, in front of witnesses if possible. If he is not willing to do this, go somewhere else.

The job itself

The job often starts of with a big fanfare as it were, the bloke who smiles and is very credible is making all his efforts to make the deal work. But as so often happens 'problems' get in the way ands over time the work starts to deteriorate and things start to go wrong.

Many times the tables turn and there is a quick change of chairs and the man who is doing the job becomes the boss and you the employer become a pain in the arse employee, an unfortunate person in the money grabbing process.

The only way to deal with this ludicrous situation is to have a quality control programme, that is part of the contract and payments only made in sections of jobs actually done.

The business man responds instinctually to lack of money and loss of his next new BMW, so one must constantly keep the guy on his toes and actually make him, through potential loss of income to actually carry out what he says he will do.

If one does not show great and constant interest in the work done in your name, the business man will slowly but surely deteriorate in his service because he will say, "Hey this man is not interested, why should I ?"

Be Interested, very interested !

Reasons why businesses fail in more ways than one

When a person with dreams of his own business starts off, they usually have this incredible energy, its their honesty and ability to carry out what they say that makes them succeed.

But as so often happens when they have made their first million or got there first big car they slacken off a little. They have been in business so long that they have seen all the ugly side of business and then slowly become cynical and find it easier to become part of that ugly side rather than keep up their former energy.

Then the business begins to fail, looses it's integrity, its spirit, even if they still apparently make the money.

I am I naive or what ?

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