Whom Are You Dealing With?
It was a rare moment to be able to take an hour out off work and so I grabbed the chance to meet up with very old and dear friends. Over a cup of coffee and frapuccino, we caught up with the recent happenings in our lives. One thing led to another and before we knew it, we were talking about new endeavors and businesses.
Interestingly enough, one of my friends mentioned getting a business reference from a common acquaintance. Since the proposal and business potential were so good and difficult to refuse, she got involved with the project. The original intention was to get into it personally but since her funds were not available at that time, she decided to just broker it to some other friends llooking for a business and just earn from commissions.
During the first month of the transaction, everything went smoothly. However, come the following months, the dealings were turning sour and my friend was caught in the middle of a very delicate situation. Her friends were experiencing difficulty in collecting from the customer my friend originally referred. My friend got so embarrassed that she spoke to the buyer and asked for an explanation. Afterwards, she went to her friend to explain the reasoning she got from the buyer and withdraw herself from the deal.
My friend was bothered by this whole experience that she took some time to do a background check on this person they dealt with. After a couple of days, my friend learned of this person’s business practice. It is not my place to judge this person though based on my friend’s interpretation of all she’s heard, I would not want to get into business with this person. The accustomed business practice of this individual is not one that I can personally work with, and my friend concurs.
Well, like the saying goes, “don’t cry over spilt milk.” So next time, make sure that you are careful in handling your glass.
We all find ourselves in this kind of a situation wherein we are approached by trusted people with good business ideas which attract us and once we see the prospective earnings, it just becomes so difficult to turn our backs to it. I just want to remind you not to get caught up in counting the eggs before they hatch. Be smart about your dealings and as much as you research about the business idea, investigate the people you will be working and dealing with. Background checks are not done solely on people who are about to be hired. It’s really simple. Just ask around. You are bound to know someone who will know and have something to say or contribute to your investigation.
Find out more about their working habits. Do you agree with their business practices? Who have they worked with or dealt with before and how is that relationship today? Don’t get yourself caught in basing your decisions on reputation alone. It is not enough.
You’re money is hard-earned. Be wise about how you manage it and that includes whom you entrust it to.
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