Set High Standards, Don’t Settle For Less
How high are your standards? From the people we work with to the level of service we offer our customers, setting high standards for your organization is crucial. Without disciplining yourself to consistently keep standards high, your company will forever be in a state of mediocrity.
Keeping your standards high can encompass many elements of your business, but here are three that you should never settle for less on:
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Partners:
When it comes to choosing a partner for your business, please take the time to really, really consider who is right for your business. I see it happening all the time, young entrepreneurs deciding to partner with a college buddy or a family member just because they are “comfortable” with them.
This isn’t the best way to go about finding a partner. You can’t afford to settle for someone less than stellar when it comes to running a business. You have to push your friendships aside and go with the person who’s best fit for the position.
That person should be equally as crazy as you. Crazy is the sense that he/she should have an insane desire to succeed and a hunger that equals or exceeds yours. Some that truly has the know-how and the ability to complement your skills in many different ways.
Ultimately, the character of your partner will be a reflection of your company image. So choose someone who is going to shine.
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Hiring Contractors/Employees:
Ever hear the saying, “you get what you pay for”? Well from my experiences as being an internet entrepreneur, I can attest to the validity of that statement.
Always, always, always pay more for someone who can get the “job done right” as opposed to paying less for someone who can “just get the job done.” Keep your standards high when hiring someone to represent your company in any fashion.
If you need to build a website, then go with someone who has proven himself already. If you need to hire a coder, then go with someone who has specifically worked on sites such as yours in the past. If you want to hire a consultant, then go with someone with a proven track record.
I used to believe that going with the cheapest person would be in my best interest since I’m a bootstrapping entrepreneur like many of the Mind Petalers out there. But in all reality, you are going to save more money in the long run when you pay extra and go with the right person from the start.
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Friends/Associates/Acquaintances:
“You are who your friends are.” Remember that saying? Well, I don’t fully buy into such a sweeping statement, but in many degrees, it’s holds some merit.
As an entrepreneur and the face of a company, you have to always be aware of who is a part of your circle, the people who you surround yourself with. There have been many occasions in my life where I have been around people who have done things that have brought bad feelings towards me from simply being associated with them.
Sure, nobody is perfect and from time to time we all mess up, but it’s in your best interest and the best interest of your business to surround yourself with people who will reinforce your character as being a stellar and standup person, not people who are going to bring negativity into your life by doing things that you would never even dream about doing.
Surround yourself with people of high quality; people who are going places in life; people who have something intelligent to say; people who have a vision; and people who are actually doing something with their live and not just wasting away.
I know… I know… we all have those group of friends who are simply just “fun” and we all know that they aren’t going anywhere in life and never will amount to anything. From time to time I “do” involve myself with these sort of people and I think that it’s ok to an extent. As long as you know where to draw the line. Ultimately, you’ll want to surround yourself with excellence and brilliance, not mediocrity.
Remember, don’t settle for less. Set your standards high and you’ll get high results.
5 Comments
Avi
January 5th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Well said.
William Quisenberry
January 5th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Great article David, I think setting high standards and actually continuing to follow them after they’ve been set is a very hard task for young entrepreneurs.
I can definitely relate to the portion of your article relating to friends and associates, because like you said there are plenty of people out there who are cool and fun to hang out with from time to time, but ultimately their lack of desire and motivation could rub off on you if you’re not careful.
Birds of a feather- flock together. Excellent post!
Jose Vedrine
January 5th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Hey Dave,
Carolina and I took our MP Hour recently, and as always we appreciate your thoughts and feedback found in the Mind Petals Daily News section. On selecting a partner we valued your remarks on choosing a compatible and equally passionate partner. Right on! We too agree that it is important to hire the best person for job irrespective of cost, and we will make sure to keep this in mind. Although, we disagree on your perspective of “friends/associates/acquaintances”. As young entrepreneurs and from our presonal experiences, we have found that our peers irrespective of their aspirations, can and do contribute to our development as entrepreneurs. With learned from interfacing with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and a diversity of experiences, that what makes a great leader– a great entrepreneur, is her/his ability to acknowledge any individual’s given talent and value to our ventures and our lives.
David Askaripour
January 5th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Hey Avi, thanks a lot!
Hey William. Agreed. It’s one thing to set high standard but it’s something completely different to actually follow through with those standards. That’s what separates the good from the great.
Hey Jose and Carolina. Thanks for tuning into your MP Hour, that rocks! Glad that you found most of my article helpful, excellent. Choosing a proper partner is an essential part of success and I strongly believe that you and your business partner are perfect for one another. You complement one another quite nicely.
As for the friends/associate section of the article, I’m not sure exactly what you are disagreeing with me on. I, too, believe that people who aren’t as motivated and ambitious as me (entrepreneurs in general) can very well end up helping me out in some way. My friends section stressed being cognizant of who you are around, not so much as what you can gain from particular people. And not really making the connection of being a great leader and interfacing with certain people. I don’t think those things are one in the same.
Thanks for your comments, everyone!
Skype
May 29th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Thank you so much for writing. I’m a 27 year old female dentist, who qualified four years ago.
5 moths ago I met a dentist at work, who wants to go into partnership with me and open our own surgery. This is someone I click with, and who I know I can work with. Suddenly a whole world of possibilities have opened up for me. That’s the difference which just one ambitious person can make, let alone having an entire circle.
That said, I think it’s important to have friends, fun or not, because even ambitious people can leave you high and dry when the next opportunity arises, and have no time for the friendship.
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