Business Secrets

I have earned my MBA and completed a small amount of coursework for my doctorate in business administration. I own a small business. I have worked for an (embarrassingly) large amount of companies (big and small). Let me tell you some secrets. 1) It is NOT unprofessional to talk about your salary with other people. Learn where you stand, if there are any discrepancies, and demand more if necessary. Stand up for yourself. 2) This is especially accurate for big businesses, but if your company tells you that they can’t afford to pay you a living wage or provide you with benefits, they are lying or shouldn’t be in business. They 100% can and should. 3) One of the staples that they teach in college for business majors, especially future entrepreneurs, is that if you take care of your employees, your business will thrive. If you are at a company that doesn’t take care of you (in any way you consider necessary), leave. Now. Starting over or starting somewhere new causes all sorts of anxiety and feelings of instability, but my goodness, chances are you will not regret it. I have always been particularly risk-averse, so when I started my own business, I literally felt nauseous. My money, my time, my reputation was all on the line. I wouldn’t change this decision for the world. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world and made me such a happier person. After watching my dad work for a company he was miserable at for 40 YEARS of his life, only to have them lay him off after he suffered from heart problems, I am determined to never ever let that happen to me. Remember folks, family and your own health comes first. A good company to work for won’t question that.