Did you ever watch Suits?

Did you ever watch Suits?  Did you notice that nobody did anyone else a favour without making sure they got something out of it?  Everyone was wheeling and dealing and were in it for themselves.  To be fair there might have been the odd occasion where someone did something nice out of the kindness of their hearts but in true dramatic fashion, they ended up paying for it dearly.  I’d like to think that that is not how we do business in the current economic climate of mindfulness.

Favours should be left to be just how they are defined in the Oxford Dictionary:  “favour  /ˈfeɪvə/ – An act of kindness beyond what is due or usual”

While the end goal in business might be selfish, the road to getting there should not be.  Business owners need to generate business by earning a reputation – so forget the favours:

• Let your main focus be doing your job well.
• Become a really great person to work with – your customers will spread the word, your suppliers will too.
• Don’t expect people to refer work to you because you are mates, family, in the same club…
• Make the reason you won a new client be that your good reputation preceded you.

I come across many new business owners who are desperate to succeed and when they see the money coming in they get overexcited and their focus turns from their work to their money.  My advice is not to look too intensely at the bank balance.  If you want to look at something monetary,  look at your upcoming financial commitments and are you generating enough income and putting funds in the right places to ensure your financial survival?  It’s not so much your current cash position that is important, its your forecasted cash position that matters and how you conduct your business.