06.06.07
Business Is Not Love
I recently had an opportunity come up that sounded like it was perfect for me. It had elements of everything I have been doing for the past dozen years or so wrapped up in a combination of small business and technology. I cannot tell you how excited I was–according to family members, I hadn’t been this excited in over forty years–because it was an exact fit.
As time wore on, I felt uneasy about the company. At one point, I decided I was done, but the other party continued to press on and I continued to let the process unfold. Finally, the fruit of all this work was ready for my agreement. I found that we were not even on the same planet. Within a minute or two, I knew I could not go through with it.
It is important to retain the ability to say “No.” It does not make a difference if the negotiations are just beginning or if they have gone on for some time. If the agreement is not right for you, or if you have doubts about the other party, break it off. You will not be doing yourself any favors to get into something that you will regret.
Frequently, smaller businesses go after that contract with BigNationwideRetail Corp. (BNRC) Because BNRC represents a huge increase in sales and profits, these businesses may wind up abandoning their “business models” to chase the big payoff. Of course, BNRC is aware of just how desperate most businesses are to get this sales increase, and they will take advantage of this to get deals that clear-thinking suppliers might otherwise pass up.
Employees also need to be willing to turn down a job offer if the company seems like it will not be in their corner. The employees at Northwest would probably agree with this. Be willing to say, “it sounds good, but it is not for me.” Sometimes that little uneasiness or doubt is the only sign that something is wrong. Ignore it at your peril.
This would be a good lesson to teach your teen as he goes to buy his first car. He needs to be willing to stop the process and say “forget it, this is not what I want.” Perhaps this will affect the income of used car dealers, but it will also prevent you from having to bail junior out of an expensive mistake.
