(Akiit.com) Too often I hear Black entrepreneurs saying stupid things. These are the same things that prohibit them from doing exactly what they want to be doing – making money. Here are the top 4 things that you definitely don’t need to be saying:
1) “I Don’t Fly on Airplanes.”
What! You don’t fly? What if you have to meet with a client face-to-face? What about business conferences? Not flying on airplanes can be a great obstacle to your business success.
If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to get over your fear of flying. Do the research! It really is the safest way to travel. If you get airsick, then you need to invest in some Dramamine® – a popular over-the-counter medicine for motion sickness.
2) “Banks Don’t Give Loans To Black Businesses.”
Wrong! Banks give loans to Black companies all the time. Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo all have special programs designed to help African American entrepreneurs. Even the SBA has several loan programs for Blacks.
The reason why you can’t get a loan is because your credit is jacked up! You need to fix your personal credit, and then re-approach your bank about a business line of credit. I guarantee you that you will get a different response.
Here’s a great example:
http://www.wellsfargo.com/biz/intentions/AfricanAm_bus_svcs
3) “I’ll Be Rich In A Week”
Just because you have a good idea doesn’t mean that you’re going to instantly attain wealth. Pick any successful entrepreneur and they will tell you that it takes at least a year to make money off a good idea. In most cases though, it takes several years.
Getting excited and overly-anxious about becoming rich overnight makes you look and sound very immature. In addition, it will only discourage you when your unrealistic dreams are not realized.
4) “I Don’t Do Business With White People”
That’s the dumbest thing a businessperson could ever say, but some people say this because they want to keep their money within the Black community.
I’m all for buying and spending within the Black community. However, at the end of the day, you have to do business with the company that delivers the best product.
Support your community, but also support your company. You don’t want your business to fail because you got caught up in some racial non-sense. Besides, there are services out there that may not even be provided by a Black-owned company.
It’s been proven over and over again; Companies that embrace diversity reap benefits beyond just their bottom lines. It took white companies years to realize this. Don’t make the same mistake they did!
Written By Dante Lee