When Should Your Business Start Charging for a Free Service or Product?

Harry Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Ronald Reagan echoed that sentiment. JFK famously said, “…ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Taking credit, even when legitimately earned, doesn’t sit well with others. People often take it as pompous, even narcissistic. That’s because it simply comes across that way, even if you don’t mean it at all. That’s why two simple words can give you a glimpse into someone else’s leadership style. Language Reveals a Lot about Personality The two words that serve as warning signs of bad leadership are merely pronouns — “me” and “I.” Someone who repeatedly uses “me” and “I” are subtly (perhaps overtly) expressing their worldview. That’s right, he or she is the center around which everything revolves. Leadership is one of the most important factors determining the success of a company. Poor leadership can seriously affect employee morale and even cause the company’s bottom line to plunge. Bad leadership leads to poor employee retention and demotivates the remaining employees, causing them to be much less productive than they would otherwise be. —Houston Chronicle Small Business Okay, that’s cliche, but it exposes a hard truth. We don’t like to think of ourselves as selfish, so we also don’t like to apply that label to others. Though, when the behavior is egregious, it not only seems appropriate to think of as an undesirable quality, but almost a necessity to call out. 3 Devastatingly Poor Leadership Traits While there are certainly numerous bad leadership attributes, three are among the absolute worst. They undermine the very role of a leader. So, doing any one of them (or more) will only be counterproductive. Here three hurtful leadership characteristics to avoid all the time: Micromanaging. Unsurprisingly, this makes the top of the list. Micromanagers are among the most despised people because their behavior is completely counterproductive. Insisting on control of everything means there’s really no need for anyone else. It’s so hated, this trait ranks among the highest in dissatisfaction among people in survey after survey. It shows you have no confidence in anyone else. Plus, it proclaims you’re the only competent person in the workplace. Not recognizing others. This isn’t much different from micromanaging because it stirs up just about as much resentment. It shows a lack of care and regard for others. It also says that you have little respect for the work others work so hard to produce. If you aren’t encouraging others through recognition, you’re insulting them in more than one way. Failing to share information. When you aren’t transparent and open about what’s going on or what’s expected, you’re effectively sabotaging anyone without that information. “To be unclear is to be unkind” the saying goes. It speaks volumes because keeping too much too close to the vest shows a real lack of trust. Without trust, there’s no way to have a working relationship. What other signs tip you off to a bad leader? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Others can greatly benefit from what you have to contribute. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

You’ve just found out that your business partner has been hiding clients from you. Of course, this has a number of important implications including, but not limited to: revenue, reputation, day-to-day operation, and a variety of other issues. All of these, not to mention the breach of trust and value of the interpersonal relationship. It’s a very difficult set of circumstances to deal with, but obviously, you can’t just ignore it. You must take action, not only for your own sake but for the sake of your career and the business at large. Dealing with a Bad Business Partner Emotions Anger. Disbelief. Disappointment. Resentment. Shock. Sorrow. You could easily cite any one of these negative emotions because you’ll experience at least one or more of them. Before you do anything at all, it is essential that you understand your gut reaction and the long-term feelings you’ll probably encounter as time goes on. While you will get past this situation, you’ll probably never completely get over it. And, that’s okay. Not all partnerships or deals work out well. Some just can’t formalize because of extraneous factors affecting the agreement, while others can be impacted by poor communication skills or a lack of flexibility on goals or approaches. This means that it is essential for leaders to stay aware of the state of a pending deal or partnership, especially if there are quiet signs that things aren’t going as well as they’d like. —Small Business Trends You’ve no doubt experienced difficult circumstances in the past, and this is really no different. While it may be new, it most certainly won’t be the last time. The point being, do not allow pure, raw emotion to dictate your actions. If you give in to your negative feelings, you will make rash, poor decisions that will only make things worse. You need to approach this from a calm and rational perspective. So, give yourself a little time to vent and get those negative emotions out of the way. How to Deal with a Dishonest Business Partner Who is Hiding Secret Clients Once you feel calm and collected, you’ll need to methodically approach how you will deal with the situation. Here is a brief but effective guide for the steps you can take to deal with a business partner who has been hiding clients from you: Learn as much as possible about these clients. This probably won’t be easy or pleasant. If you are able, learn as much about these secret clients as possible. You might even go so far as to contact them yourself under the guise of following up with regular business. The whole idea is to try to get the best picture you can about these secret clients. Thoroughly examine all the business’ finances. The very next thing to do is look through your business’s financial documents. While these might not reveal anything at all — if your business partner was clever and deceitful enough — it could reveal an unseen pattern that you never detected before. At the very least, you might find some discrepancies, or this revelation will reveal past discrepancies you could not explain before. Formulate a couple or few separation scenarios. After you’ve done your detective work, it’s time to concentrate on how to best move forward. Since this is such a big betrayal of trust, it’s probably unrealistic to think that you can just patch things up and go on as if nothing has happened. So, you need to formulate at least a couple of ways that you can break up the relationship and do as little damage while causing as little disruption as possible. Talk to your business partner about ending your arrangement. This will most likely be the hardest part of resolving the situation. If you are able, don’t simply cut off communication and walk away. Instead, talk to your business partner in order to gain an understanding of his or her motivations. Although this certainly doesn’t excuse his or her behavior, it might help you in the future to detect when something’s awry when you otherwise wouldn’t. What other suggestions do you have for dealing with a dishonest business partner who is hiding something important? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your unique perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Starting a new business is an exciting and challenging venture. However, amidst the hustle and bustle, entrepreneurs need to remain vigilant and protect themselves from potential scams that can derail their success. Scammers often prey on the vulnerabilities and limited experience of new business owners. Most Common Scams that Target Entrepreneurs Okay, let’s get ahead of this right now. Entrepreneurs are proud people and willing to take risks. So, they can be a little more susceptible to scams. Even the most skeptical can be fooled. And that means knowing the most common schemes can be very informative. Now, let’s delve into the types of scams that entrepreneurs are most likely to encounter and provide essential steps they can take to avoid falling victim. Fake Invoice Scams One of the most prevalent scams is the fake invoice scheme. Scammers send fraudulent invoices for services or products that were never ordered or received. The invoices may appear legitimate, using logos and details similar to genuine suppliers or service providers. New business owners, caught up in the chaos of managing operations, may inadvertently pay these invoices without realizing the deception. How to Avoid Fake Invoices Implement strict payment protocols: Establish a clear process for verifying and approving invoices. Maintain a record of authorized suppliers and cross-reference all invoices against this list. Double-check all invoices: Scrutinize each invoice for any discrepancies, such as changes in payment details or unexpected price increases. Contact the supplier directly to confirm the legitimacy of the invoice before making any payments. Train employees: Educate your staff about invoice scams and the importance of verifying invoices. Encourage them to report any suspicious invoices or requests for payment. Business Opportunity Scams Entrepreneurs, driven by the desire for success, can become susceptible to business opportunity scams promising quick riches or high returns on investments. These scams often present themselves as legitimate-sounding franchise opportunities (or pyramid schemes or multi-level marketing programs). However, they typically rely on recruiting more individuals rather than selling legitimate products or services. How to Stay Away from Business Opportunities that Sound Too Good to be True Research extensively: Thoroughly investigate any business opportunity before committing. Seek independent reviews and testimonials from individuals who have engaged with the organization and look for the good and bad. Anything that strikes you as a red flag should give you ample pause. Take a step back and look objectively: This is much easier said than done, but it’s worth mentioning. Get some perspective and ask people you trust. Let them evaluate the offer and give you their honest feedback. Phishing and Email Spoofing Phishing and email spoofing scams remain a constant threat to entrepreneurs. Scammers send deceptive emails, often posing as trusted organizations, financial institutions, or even government agencies. These emails attempt to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card details, or social security numbers. Entrepreneurs may unknowingly compromise their own and their business’s security by falling for these scams. Best Ways to Protect Yourself from Phishing and Spoofing Be cautious with email links: Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Hover your mouse over links to reveal the actual destination before clicking. Verify email senders: Scrutinize the email address of the sender carefully. Phishing emails often use slight variations or misspellings of legitimate email addresses. When in doubt, contact the organization directly through a trusted source to confirm the authenticity of the email. Utilize security measures: Install reputable antivirus software, spam filters, and firewalls to protect against phishing attempts. Regularly update software and keep your systems patched to minimize vulnerabilities. Business Directory Scams This is an old one, but it’s still in use today. And it targets new entrepreneurs in various forms – usually digital but sometimes, still hardcopy. Scammers may contact business owners, claiming to offer inclusion in a prestigious online directory or publication for a fee. They employ persuasive tactics, promising increased exposure and enhanced credibility. However, these directories often have limited visibility and fail to deliver any real benefits. Effective Protection Tips Conduct thorough research: Before investing in any directory or publication, research its reputation and reach. Look for genuine testimonials and reviews from other business owners. Question unsolicited offers: Be skeptical of unsolicited calls or emails from unfamiliar directories. Ask for detailed information about their services and cross-check their claims with trusted sources. Verify legitimacy: Contact established industry associations or local business bureaus to verify the legitimacy of the directory or publication. What other types of scams would you add to this list? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can avoid making costly mistakes and being victimized by nefarious individuals or criminals. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group to learn more about us and the services we offer.