The Entrepreneurial Savant

This is the best advice I ever received when starting my business. When someone asks you for a price or specs or a time frame or to make any decision that you are not absolutely sure of, say the magic words: “I’ll get back to you”. Then think out your response and get back to them. This will save you a lot of money and a lot of aggravation from trying to fulfill promises made in the heat of the moment.

One warning however; if you say you’ll get back to them, do it ASAP.

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Consultant’s consultant Hubert Bermont found that one of the most frustrating things about starting a consulting business was the realization that even when clients paid for expensive advice they often didn’t follow it. He relates the story of being at lunch with a psychiatrist friend who told him that he knew four words that would cure 90% of his patients’ problems. Those words were:

Don’t take it personally.

Think about it. The majority of cruel, careless, idiotic or just plain stupid things that appear to be done to us by others are really the result of their own problems. If we could develop the thick skin to not take things personally, we wouldn’t waste valuable energy agonizing over the actions of others.
Note: Bermont’s book, How To Succeed as a Consultant in Your Own Field (Prima), is one of the best books ever written on the subject of starting your own business, even if you are not a consultant. It is particularly valuable for people starting second careers after working for others. Highly Recommended reading.

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