Ask an Expert: How mom's advice can help your business
— -- Q: My wife is a great mom and a great business owner. Coincidence? I think not. — Kirk
A: This comment got me to thinking. Although my sweet mom isn't with us anymore, her lessons live with me still, and now that I think about it, they even apply to business. And my wife, the great mom to my kids, not only teaches them well, but me, too, in the process.
Isn't that what moms do? They teach and help and share and give. If you think about it, I bet your mom's advice might also apply to your business:
"Look both ways before crossing the street":What is she really saying? What mom means is that it is a dangerous world out there and you have to careful.
That is certainly true in business, is it not? Before doing a deal with someone new, before taking out that line of credit, before opening that second location, look both ways before crossing the street. It might just save your business life.
"Play nice":In business, this sage piece of advice could have many meanings:
• It could mean, be kind to your employees, and be a good boss
• It might mean, in a negotiation, think win-win
• Maybe it means, remember that business is about more than just the bottom line
However you want to interpret it, playing nice usually means your business will be more fun and more fulfilling than if you don't play nice.
"Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do":This is something my mom used to tell me (like maybe when I knew my Aunt Rhoda, bless her heart, was going to place a big lipstick kiss on my cheek.) It is advice that has always served me well, in life and in business.
In business, sometimes you do indeed have to do things you don't want to do: Let someone go, pay a bill for services poorly rendered, do your taxes, that sort of thing.
The good news: Doing the unwelcome thing means that you can then go back to the fun things.
"There's always a solution":This is something my wife always reminds my kids. It's good to learn, and true. No, the solution is not always easy or simple, but guess what? Sometimes it is, you just have to look harder. The important thing is to remember that solutions are out there.
