Last night I met with a former client and his wife for dinner in the West Village. They had just gotten back from a wedding in Berlin, and were absolutely aglow with the self-satisfaction of jet-setters. We used the opportunity to not only chit chat and look at pictures, but also to discuss some possible business ventures too. He suggested that I might take a trip to Sotheby’s or Christies to observe how an art auction is conducted. (He is an antiques map dealer (check out his store) and both his wife and I are lawyers so there was a lot to talk about.) He feels that with the art industry tanking on account of the bad global economy it might not be a bad time to make a deal. He was being silly of course and is totally making fun of me. He knows fully well that paintings by Picasso, Degas and Gustave Caillebotte are not anywhere near within my conversational budget, never mind my fiscal one. But we had fun. It was a great evening.
I say all that to say that as a small business owner, you will find that many of your friends become clients and many of your clients become friends and with enough of these, you will find yourself creating a Tribe (see book by Seth Godin) of your own that could keep you in business for a very long time to come. Through referrals and recommendations, your tribe of clients, customers, friends and advisors will continue to grow and expand.
Initially with any startup business, finding a niche market and building a “tribe” is daunting. But recognizing that one of the ways to short circuit the job is to make friends of customers and customers of friends, will go a long way.
3 years ago
