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When I resigned from my
outside job to be a work at home mom, I needed to replace the income
I was making. This was the understanding that I made with my
husband, for our family. For almost the entire first year I found
myself continually giving free services, time, and even product to
people. I felt bad and even guilty every time I would hear of
someone who didn't have enough money or didn't have the proper
skills/software to do what they wanted in order to help their
business grow.
What ended up happening is that I felt I
couldn't say "no", and because of this, I put my family's finances
at risk. This was unfair to myself, my family and my business. I
have had to learn to say "no", and have had to learn to draw that
line between business and friendship. It is a struggle, and
something that is still not fully resolved. Am I saying that you
should never help others by offering discounts and free services?
No, definitely not. What I am saying is that you need to be careful
and not fall into the trap of attempting to make everyone happy and
of taking care of everyone else’s problems. If you run your business
this way, you will
run it right into the ground. Pick and
choose what you can do for others. Help others when you can - when
you and your business can afford to. You will find both you and your
business will run more smoothly when putting limits on your
generosity.
Doing business with
friends can work wonderfully and be beneficial if done properly. By
setting up some guidelines and having candid conversations up front,
you can have a business relationship with respect and understanding.
GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW:
1. When becoming a customer or client of a friend, don't expect any
special discounts or treatment. This is unfair to the business owner
and directly affects their livelihood. If you each want to extend a
discount or other perks to each other, be open and up front about
whether it is feasible. Remember, if
your friend gave a discount to every friend/associate they had, they
wouldn't be able to make the income they need. You are not the one
to judge what another person needs to earn or should be earning.
2. Pay your bills on time. Do not treat your friend's business any
different than other companies you deal with. Put yourself in their
position. What if all of your customers/clients did not pay you when
their bills are due? Paying on time not only shows respect but is
the right thing to do.
3. Don't take "no" personally. If your friend cannot offer you a
free or discounted service, respect that. She/he is attempting to
run a business and not only has their business expenses to pay, but
an income to earn. It has nothing to do with the type of person they
are. Do not judge someone by
what you can receive for free from them. You do not know what their
situation is or all the free services/products that they already
provide to others.
4. Do not over-extend yourself. Many times people allow themselves
to be taken advantage of out of guilt. They feel they need to help
and offer their services for free or at a discount to everyone.
Unfortunately, some friends, family members or acquaintances will
try to make an individual feel guilty. You know what you can and
cannot do in the area of helping others. Do not put yourself in a
bind so that your business or family suffers - financially or time
wise. This is unfair to your family. You cannot be everything to
everybody. Be true to yourself, your values and your needs. This
does not
mean you are being selfish. It means you are being realistic and
will help where and when you can.
