Our businesses do not exist in a vacuum, and if we are sole proprietors working away in our little home-based businesses, we do come in contact with other people. We also come in contact and are influenced by other people’s opinions and ideas. As you go about the daily grind of building your home business, how influenced are you by what others say and do?
Surely there are trends in any industry, there are also “best practices” that pop up continually for the business world as a whole. Some people are able to stick to their chosen course without much sway or influence from outside sources, while others are constantly trying out new ideas and using other’s opinions and ideas in their daily decision-making. I suppose, like most things, moderation is the key to a healthy and stable business. We do need some outside influence in order to keep things fresh and progressive, and that objective outside viewpoint can often help us see an answer where we have been plagued by an unsolvable problem–but, too much “going along with the crowd” and our business can be shaky with inconsistency and experimentation.
Can you be turned away from making a decision that you know is right if strong enough personalities tell you otherwise? Do you consult the business and trade publications whenever you are faced with a problem in your home business? Do you shun any outside advise or opinions, preferring to go your own way regardless? You can see where too much of any style might not be the best thing for your business. Instead, having some trusted mentors and individuals whose advice you at least listen to and consider can be a good thing, as well as keeping up on trends and business operations ideas–but too much change and outside influence can make your business operations weak and rudderless.
Also: You Don’t Have to Like Them to Do Business With Them, Or Do You?
Finding Like-Minded Colleagues