What’s My #1 Piece of Advice?

I talk to all kinds of current and new Netrepreneurs every day. Yesterday, I was asked by a new client:

“There is so much information and so many ’solutions’ out there… What’s the one piece of advice you would give someone new to the online business world?”

My answer was that besides the obvious of knowing you have a desired product at a competitive price and a realistic budget to begin; find someone you can trust!

It’s that simple. If you have someone you can trust on your team to weed through all the information and those “solutions” that many times only have the provider’s interest at heart, you not only don’t waste time making mistakes, but you also save money by not spending it in areas that are not necessary.

We live in a world where trust is hard to find and attain. Investigate your potential partners to make sure they are trustworthy, ethical and reliable. You’ve heard the saying “consider the source.” Do just that!

If the source is new or lacks credibility; don’t pay attention. Experience and trust can only be gained after years of walking that walk — it isn’t instantaneous simply because you put up a Web site.

Learn just enough to know who has your best interests at heart and those who are just giving you a pitch. Your gut will tell you the difference. Talk to them on the phone to get a feel for their genuineness and personality. E-mail to see if you get a prompt and courteous response.

Every day, I see the “big name” companies and fly-by-nights alike take advantage of what their customers don’t know. Whose at fault here? Both sides.

The big name companies for relying on what their customers don’t know as part of their business model and the fly-by-nights only interested in getting into your pocketbook and then they’re done with you. And their customers, who like lemmings do not learn enough to know when they are being treated poorly or not getting what they thought they paid for.

Once you find partners you can trust; you then are freed up to work on running your business because your back is covered. That my friends is a pretty liberating feeling!

At your service,
Judith