As a business owner, sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and your business is to say, NO.

 
Deciding which seemingly good opportunities to pursue and which to pass on. Tough right? Especially when the opportunities you’re presented promises to be the solution to all the pain points you’ve been experiencing. And how do you know for sure if saying NO causes you to miss out on an amazing chance to sell even more of your products or services. I wish I could tell you that this is going to be easy, cause it not when you don’t have a narrowly-focused plan or purpose for your business. Every well-spoken sales offer is going to sound like a good idea. Decisions will be made based on your emotions instead of solid truths—ultimately doing something you’ll regret later. But with a good business or brand strategy in place to serve as your checks and balances, saying NO will be easier.

You might need to say NO…

• to opportunities that seem fantastic on the surface, but, in your spirit, you know it will pull you further away from your business’s true purpose.
• to great ideas that do not align with your purpose, mission and values.
• to prospects that have the ability and availability to do the work you require but are in no way a suitable match for the culture you want to develop.
• to providing products or services that in no way adds value to, benefits or improves the lives of others.
• to that notion that giving excellence work can only happen if you have a lot of money or a big business, and not standard for a small business like yours.

Each mismatch opportunity, idea or practice you say yes to is little and fairly harmless on its own. But those little things add up to the big experience and overall impression of you that people need to determine if and how they fit in your world.

If you really care about your business perception and message, say NO more often to those things that distort your image. Sometimes saying NO is the best gift you can give to yourself and your business.

In short, say “NO” more often to what may seem attractive, but ultimately be a harmful business opportunity, idea or practice. It’ll help keep your message clear and even create space to build a better, more likable business!
 

What are your thoughts on my reasons for saying NO in business? Can you think of any others?