If you have been in business for years, I am sure you have a lot of experience dealing with all types of people around you. One of them is what I call a “friend in business”.
When I first started my handmade bags business, people who barely knew me got very friendly and were attracted to me like moths attracted to a light. Being a first time entrepreneur, I found this exciting and I thought these people shared and cared about what I am passionate about. They encouraged and motivated me in every step of the way. But as every expert business owner advises, ‘you don’t have to go too far to find your own enemy’. Your so called ‘friend in business’ can easily turn into the worst enemy there can be. And it has happened to me.
Alice (not her real name) is a single mother of three, came into my store and purchased one of my handmade bags. She is friendly and excited to have finally found a one-of-a-kind gift for one of her friends she met at her kid’s school. She compliments my design and the quality. Of course I thanked her and learned she lived in the neighborhood.
Before I knew it we become fast friends. She visited my sewing studio and called me often. We went to distant fabric stores to hunt for great fabrics and deals. She told me she is also an entrepreneur and is working on her latest fashion design. My radar started to ring an alarm as a possible competitor, but I just ignored it because she seemed sincere.
Interestingly enough, she started to ask me to open an account with her so we can save together and buy an inventory for my business and hers. This piqued my interest and questioned her motives further. She told me that we can go into business together and become sort of like business partners. I told her that I would think about it. She didn’t seem too happy with my thoughtful answers.
Soon after, she asked me to build a website to display her portfolio and design her marketing brochures and business cards. I completed the job and invoiced her. It took her over two months to pay me. She called everyday and I started to wonder. Next, she asked me to help her design another flyer for her festival. I completed it, invoiced her and told her I won’t be able to help her anymore. She is, as predicted, furious and started to stalk me over the phone everyday that my husband decided to put a stop on it. She acted very immature when my husband asked her to pay the invoice I sent her. Of course she disappeared and I never got paid.
I learned a great lesson. If someone is so eager to know about your business and overly compliments you on your designs and creations, you should be careful. This so called ‘friend in business’ probably only had one intention in mind: to leach on you so they get what they want. I got lucky I listened to my gut feeling even though this was my first experience dealing with people with bad intentions. Despite all the stress dealing with people like Alice, and never having received payment for hours of my work, I am happy to have finally gotten rid of her. I also feel grateful to my husband who always growls at me whenever I have ‘friend in business’ that he thought nothing of them except that they wanted to take advantage of my naivety and friendly manners.
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