April Fool’s Day Business Wisdom: Create Trust Around Your Company

I remember doubting the call but for some reason felt the need to go to their front desk after shopping the next day to ask if I won a ham. Of course the answer from a giggling employee was, “What? Won a Ham? No, we did not have any contests.” I knew the moment the words left my mouth I had been duped. I had some choice words for my sister when she called me laughing since this was not the first time she had gotten me on April Fool’s Day.

So what is the reason for sharing this story with you today besides it being April Fool’s Day? It ties into the trust we put in people in our lives and our business community. We automatically trust people we have known most of our lives including our family, friends and neighbors. We reach out to them in good times and bad for them to listen, offer advice, or share good times. It is the same in business. We establish short and long lasting friendships, business partnerships and alliances that offer us support, information and kinship. Just like it would be hard to survive in life without friends and family, we could not survive in business without positive relationships.

What I know to be true about what I try to do for every woman I meet is to be some level of support for them in their entrepreneurial journey. Whether it is answering a quick email, talking to them on the phone for 15 minutes or having lunch for an hour, I make myself available to lend advice, support and guidance if someone needs it. In the end a successful business survives based on the strong relationships they create, the trust they have with others and the integrity of their core business principles.

Today’s post is to inspire you to take a look at the relationships you have created in business. Are all your relationships based on trust? Do they benefit you and the other party? Are you involved in any narcissistic relationships that are too one sided? Do your customers trust you? Do you have a good reputation in the community? Look at who you are involved with in all aspects of business and make sure you are aligned with the right people with intellect, insight and connections to help you.