There's No Brother In Business
The saying "no brother in business" may sound mean until you trivialize it and face the consequences. As much as I am emotional and love to always put family and friends first in everything I do, I have also learned to set limits when it comes to business.
Business is business, if you want your business to thrive, you need to learn how to keep your emotions aside and do the needful.
I was chatting with one of my bosses recently, and he told me something, he said "when you are doing business, even if it's your wife, charge her, give her a higher price than normal, then later tell her the normal one and say it's because of you that I am doing it at this rate, so that she will feel you made a discount for her.
If you give her things cheap, she will forget that you made a discount for her earlier on, when you get home she will still ask you for money, demand you call her, and so on, meanwhile the money is coming from the business."
It sounds funny but that's the truth, if we allow sentiment to come in between our business we will fail. The little discount you are giving out in the name of family and friends isn't going to come back and the same people would be looking forward to you helping them financially subsequently.
I had an eye-opening experience some years back that transformed my life when it came to dealing with people I know in business.
My mom has a little canteen, it's been one of her major source of income. I used to spend most of my time helping her serve food in the shop.
I am someone who has a lot of friends, sometimes they come by and keep me companied in the canteen and it's beautiful. You know you need to treat your visitors right, especially when they come to your place of work.
Sometimes, I give them food for free, no matter their number and other times I don't, because it's business. Gradually, they liked our food and from time to time they patronized us.
You know Friends, they don't like coming to buy food from my mom, they prefer getting it from me. Sometimes after you finish serving them food of let's say 500 Naira, they will end up begging you with 400 Naira, telling you it's all they've got.
Foolish me, I will accept it and smile, sometimes even say "What are friends for?" Gradually it became a habit. Each time my friends come around to buy food, they come with incomplete money and I will keep giving them food at that rate. They don't buy from my sisters or my mom except me so they will get to use their tricks on my compassion.
Little by little, Mom started complaining that she was running at a loss instead of a profit, sometimes even the main capital doesn't even come out at the end of the day. Food doesn't remain but we don't see money.
I knew it was all my fault, so I decided to change my position in the shop, I stopped serving food, and I went into the Washing unit. All I do is wash plates, if you want to buy food go to my mother or sisters. And things changed, it didn't completely go back to the way it was but there was profit coming in at least.
The thing is, if you don't have money, it's not a big deal, I could help you, and I can even buy food for you with my money but trying to act smart by always coming with incomplete money because I am your friend is not nice.
This is why I hate doing business with those I know, once you show them a little favor, they will always be expecting it and whenever you stop it becomes a problem.
Is the experience something I'll be trying again?
Hell no, we will do friends outside, but when it comes to my office, a customer is a customer, whether you are my mother or father, talk less of a friend.
This is where I earn the money I survived on. If I run down today, you will be the same person to tell me I am not serious with what I do. Be a customer when it comes to business and when we are at home, we can do the family and friends things.
A man in my community closed down his shop that used to be one of the hottest provision shops because of giving things out on credit. Ask why he used to give them, and he will say they are people I know, What do you expect me to do? Now that he has gone bankrupt and his business shut down, no one is coming around again. You see the danger of being sentimental in business right?