A friend doesn't ask another friend who is in business for the "hook-up"
Being a new author/publisher has given me a new outlook on business and personal matters. For starters, I rapidly discovered that the two are completely separate entities, and that anyone hoping to make it in the business world, had better learn this quickly.
In many introductory business courses, you learn about entrepreneurship and that by definition means assuming the risk and responsibility of starting a business. You put your blood sweat and tears into a project. This requires financial sacrifice and the ability to endure opposition and many obstacles in the hopes of gaining a return on your investment and becoming successful in the endeavor. Few people start a business without this objective in mind, otherwise it would be considered a hobby.
The worst part about being a new author is not the lack of name recognition in this huge industry, or the limited marketing budget. The most detrimental effect on my new business, are the people seeking “the hook up” in the form of a free copy of my book. It started out seemingly harmless, but once several people have done it, my already slim profit margin gets further setback by hundreds of dollars.
I am not alone, many small business owners find themselves in this situation. Those seeking the hook up consist of family, friends and many of people you have encountered on your journey that feel that you owe them one. They are not always selfish or malicious in their intent. Some are truly happy for you, excited for you and anxious to get their hands on your product. They care about you, but don’t understand how businesses operate and that it costs money to create a product, and even more when you give them away.
It is difficult to look in the eyes of someone that you played with in the sandbox and tell them that, although they feel you should “hook them up” they really need to pay you for your product or service. This makes it very evident why many successful people have “handlers” They handle all the people that are looking to be “hooked up.” This avoids an awkward conversation when you have to tell people “no.”
I have been guilty of getting hooked up in the past myself. Because of my recent experiences, I am going to be careful with this going forward. It is understandable to want a good deal, but to outright expect a freebie or even discount from a small business owner is not always appropriate. We have to move past this sense of entitlement that because we are a friend or relative of a person with a business that we deserve a hook up. We mean well, but we have it backwards.
This person has not only sacrificed to start this business, but may very well be dependent on sales. So when we do not pay in a sense we are saying, “You hooking me up is more important than me supporting you.”
It is safe to say that we pay for things we want or that we deem worthy of our dollar, so each time we ask for a hookup, in a sense we are saying, “I don’t believe this is worth paying for.”
Lastly, nothing in life is free, especially not a tangible product. Someone is paying for it, so when we ask for a free product or service, in a sense we are saying, “You should pay me to use your product or services.”
We all are trying to save money, but let’s not do it to the detriment of others. The past few years, in this harsh economy we have seen major corporations buckle. Now is the time to actually support small business owners, we should “hook them up” for a change.
Great blog. That’s why I purchase from friends who own small businesses. I want to show support and I understand that they invest in their products and services.