Never Mix Business & Friendship

I have heard it said on the net that you should not become
friends with people whom you do business with.

I say, "Why not?" Building personal relationships is the
foundation of your business success.

Because business should be business and there is no room for
making friends and socializing. Friendship interferes with a
business relationship by keeping people from making the right
business choice for the sake of the friendship.

I say, "No way!" Friends understand the business decisions you
have to make because they sometimes have had to make the same
ones. If they cannot, they are not a friend!

I have been in the Internet marketing business for two years and
have made numerous close friends and many casual friends. These
relationships have helped me personally and professionally.

Personally, I have had the pleasure of getting to know people
from all over the world. Interesting people. Professionally, I
have learned from all these people and some of them have become
my customers. When you build this relationship, you also build
trust and people will be more likely to buy from someone they
trust.

Treat everyone you meet with respect, courtesy and
consideration. This will go a long way in building friendships
and your business. Because in doing this, you are building
yourself, your reputation and your character. If you appear
aloof and rigid, you will be looked upon with skepticism and
mistrust. This will do nothing for your business or reputation,
but it will probably keep you from making any friends. If that
is your goal, you will then do well.

I have written several articles on how we should treat each
other because I have seen some people be rude or even downright
cruel to others for absolutely no reason. I guarantee a person
with that kind of outlook and attitude will not get far in the
business world or their personal life.

When I first came online, I was amazed by how much people were
willing to help others and how so many people built online
friendships. It was one of the things that attracted me to this
business.

Places to start building these relationships:
http://www.wahmpreneur.com/discus/
http://powerhomebiz.com/discussion/subscription.htm
http://www.webmasterworld.com/ http://wahmservices.com/
http://www.entrepreneursnetworkexchange.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/epub
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LB-Ad_Swaps http://momsnetwork.com
http://swap.at/TheSwapShop.com

So if someone advises you not to mix friendship with business,
think about the consequences of having such an opinion. And
simply ask them, "Why not?"