Janeane's World: Published By James, Davis, and Associates

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Honesty is A Good Thing in Business

Honesty is a good thing in business, so as Judge Judy said, "don't pee in my ear and tell me it's raining."

Honesty is a good thing in business, so as Judge Judy said, “don’t pee in my ear and tell me it’s raining.”

I have been working on a project recently for a client that is telling me pretty stories about why he cannot pay me for my work. I have started to stop listening to the stories and instead have begun to laugh at them. I keep telling my client, soon to be a former client that I don’t need pretty stories, I need cash. I own a Kindle 3G with more than 3,000 books, so I have plenty of pretty stories. I have an abundance of stories. What I do not have an abundance of cash.

I am a loyal person. I am zealous in all I do. I fight for people and things with whom I am associated. People who are friends with me know that I am a ride and thrive kind of chick. I will ride with you till the wheels fall off, then I will get out and push the car across the finish line. People like me appreciate honesty. When you are an entrepreneur, one of the biggest treasures you have is your word. When you have a reputation for honesty, you have a treasure that will benefit your bottom line.

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As an entrepreneur, I would feel so much better if instead of pretty stories my client would simply say, “I messed up, I cannot pay you now, but I will have your money next month and I have taken steps to make sure we do not have this problem again in the future.” That is the only story I will appreciate until my cash come to me. I would like that story because it means that my client has taken ownership of his wrongdoing. It means that my client appreciates the work I do and sees value in it. It means that my client recognizes that I am a worker worthy of my hire. All these things are true and should be recognized and acknowledged.

Today would be fantastic if we start to deal with each other honestly in business. So, the question for you this fantastic day is, how honest are you with clients, suppliers and business partners?