3 Business Rules To Live By
This year was all about finding opportunities and change. 2007 will be a further evolution on those themes.
Reflecting a bit on opportunities and change, I’ve come up with 3 business rules to live by, rules I’m going to follow more closely and we’ll see where they take me.
- Work With People You Want To. You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose. That has little to do with anything but I can’t get it out of my head.
My point is simple: Pick your partners carefully. Work with people you want to work with.
I hope never ever ever to break this rule again. Ever. Seriously.
- Don’t Try And Ride Other People’s Coattails. It might work for awhile but there’s a very good chance it’ll end badly. Either they’ll dump you or they won’t live up to their promise or what you perceived the success would be. Getting mentored is not the same. Mentors are good. Expecting others to make you successful is not good.
- Operations and Administration Suck But They’re Essential. Most people find administrative and operational tasks boring as all heck (cause they are!) but they’re critical to business success. Budgets, managing finances, running a lean organization … not particularly fun but worth every bit of effort. Vision, dreaming, big picture — all good, but if you don’t handle the nitty gritty details, watch out. Take some time each week, each month, each year to put your house in order. Find ways to save a bit of money, streamline operations, double check that the machine is well oiled.
Oftentimes, people know something but they haven’t truly learned it. That’s the case with my 3 business rules. Intrinsically I’ve known for some time these are rules I should follow, but it’s only this year that I really learned to follow them.
This post is part of my Group Writing Project where we ask, “What Have You Learned in 2006?” Please read the submissions made so far by some awesome bloggers:
- Inspiration Through The Learning of Others
- More Lessons Learned From the Blogging Community
- What People Have Learned in 2006
I’m donating $5 to charity for each post you write! And there are some great book prizes to be won.
The group writing project ends December 24th — you’ve still got time to participate.
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#3 is the one I struggle with year after year after year. Why can’t I ever learn? I make a pact with myself each year, yet I just can’t get that part of my business working the way I want it to.
#1 is a lesson I think I have finally learned this year. Sometimes it feels good to say that someone is just not a good match for being a client.
Best of luck with #3 Char. You can always look for help in some ways…outsource bookkeeping/accounting, get someone to help coach you on managing things…
[...] Ben spells it out loud and clear with his 3 Business Rules to Live By. I personally need to focus on #3 in the next year. And you? [...]
Great Post Ben!
Completely agree with all three and my favourite -
‘Remember you can create only one first impression.’
Make sure every experience people have with your organisation (including the first one) wreaks of professionalism and great customer service. A few years ago I wanted to buy a particular car. I had done my homework and knew exactly what I wanted. I headed to the closest dealership ready to put in my order and spend up. The guy who (eventually) spoke to me was rude, arrogant and condescending. I told him so …and bought my car elsewhere the same day. Even though they had ‘the product’ I wanted, I decided not to become their customer because of the crap service.
This is how we humans work; remember that!
Love your blog Ben!
Craig - you’re absolutely right when it comes to first impressions. That’s really something else I’ve “remembered to learn again” this year…
Thanks for stopping by!
Good stuff & a great blog.
I also like what you’re doing at gifter.org.
Happy holidaze!
Thanks Paul, I appreciate the words of support.
[...] Either by re-play or through discussion, Michael Wade’s The Career Manifesto at Execupundit.com kept popping into my reading life until it found its way here. Over at Instigator Blog, Ben Yoskovitz wrote about his 3 Business Rules To Live By. Together, the two posts are a natural mesh. [...]
Carnival of the Capitalists…
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Carnival of the Capitalists. I’m sticking with my usual method of hosting a carnival — listing a summary of each piece with the author’s reason for submitting the post to the carnival (for…
[...] The second-click-through award goes to Ben Yoskovitz at Instigator Blog for “3 Business Rules To Live By” because Rule #3 should be one of the rules lived by any DIY Online Business for One — ya gotta keep track of the fundamentals. [...]
[...] I received an email today from the author of Free Money Finance to let me know that one of my posts was featured in the Carnival of Capitalists. It was 3 Business Rules To Live By. [...]
[...] Yoskovitz proposes 3 Business Rules to Live By, and this one’s a keeper! Simple, direct, and to the point. If you can abide by these, you’ll [...]