Ballerific Business: Be About Your Business : blogged by @niksofly

I was conversing with an associate the other day and the topic of business came up.  We weren’t discussing the aspects of personal information, but rather the purpose you serve in relation to your field or career. It’s another facet of our brand we fail to recognize.  I was always told to be about my business at all times. It seems exhaustive, but believe me nothing is more time consuming and frustrating than rebuilding a careless brand.  Even when you think no one is watching, your brand is always one screenshot and misinterpretation away from being dismantled.

When I say be about your business, I’m not always referring to money and the promotion of your entity (whether it be yourself or your skillset). I am referring more to your interactions and how you deal with situations. If we aren’t mindful of these things, they can and will destroy the brand we worked for. Always be strategic with your presence and honest with your word .

Never be the person without any business. If your presence doesn’t serve a purpose, don’t be there.  Sounds simple enough, but I’ve witnessed a myriad of people, females particularly, that would be at events or in situations where they were the individuals without any business.  It’s cool that you “know” these people, but what are you exactly accomplishing by being there?  If networking is the only reason that you can assess, ask yourself if that event is the only opportunity to network and how beneficial is it to you? There can be seven events in a week that will offer networking opportunities, but if only two offer networking opportunities for the sector I am in, then I need to only be at those two events and not all seven.

Understand that if it isn’t business, removing your self should be option#1. No, not all of your interactions have to be business related, but if you are in a situation due to business, when business is no longer the topic, you need to find the quickest exit.  You weren’t invited to talk about your relationship status or the 12 ways he/she could make your love come down.  You were there to discuss what you bring to the table or what they bring to the table. If penis and vagina is all, then that’s not a conversation you should be having while on business. In fact you shouldn’t have that conversation at all if you plan on doing business. Understand your value and demand that others respect it.  The only thing someone should be allowed to freely talk about is the cost associated with the venture.

A huge pet peeve of mine is individuals that cannot do what they say. I totally get that life happens, but so does business everyday. If you cannot do something, be honest about it. If you are running late on a deadline, tell your client. No one ever sets out planning to fail, but we fail when we don’t plan. Set sub deadlines to gauge your success with a client’s work. If at week 4 of a 16-week contract you are experience difficulties, it’s better to address them with your client and find a solution to the problem. No one is going to kill you because you aren’t great at everything; however, bad reviews will kill your reputation if you project efficiency and are remedial.

Be about your business at all times.

-Niko Rose