In one of my business groups on Facebook, someone posted a meme that generated a lot of buzz; it read, “Total strangers will support you before your own friends and family.” Many of us have seen this meme on Facebook and Instagram, and it always causes lively discussions on social media. People are really passionate about getting the most support from people they know; however, this may not be in the best interest of someone who is serious about launching a real business.
So here’s the deal – I believe it was Tiphani Montgomery who said it best, and I’m paraphrasing but, she said that ‘I don’t care if friends or family don’t support my business because I DON’T HAVE A FRIENDS AND FAMILY BUSINESS; I HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.’ This is one of the best perspectives to have when trying to build your brand.
Some People Are Just Supporting To Be Nice
Yes, it’s great if you do have friends and family that support, but ask yourself – are they supporting you because they believe your product is actually great, or are they supporting you just to be nice? Are they supporting you because they believe that your services are actually stellar – or do they simply feel obligated to support you because they know you? Are you comfortable having people buy your products because they’re your relative – or are you selling products that actually appeal to people around the world? If you ask yourself these questions and examine how you’ve been going about attempting to sell to your customers, are you building a ‘Family and Friends’ business or are you building and International business?
Depending On Friends & Family Places Limits On Your Business
Also, if you are constantly relying on just friends and family to buy your makeup, or support your non-profit, or attend your party – you are limiting yourself. Chances are, the people that know you best are the people who are going to be THE LEAST honest with you. They are the ones who may simply pat you on your back, or say “good job” just to be supportive. This is a limitation because the last thing an entrepreneur needs are ‘yes men’! Friends and family should not feel obligated to always support your business. If your product is really awesome, then you will notice strangers logging on to your website to purchase your items. If your services are really as stellar as you claim, then you will see people outside of your city inboxing you to figure out how to obtain your services.
Know Your Demographic
If you are a business owner who has thoroughly studied your product and your audience, you already know that very often, your friends and family are often not a part of your core demographic. If you are selling a sensual, sexual novella – chances are your very churchy, Christian grandmother may not actually want to read anything that’s in your book. But, grandma buys it anyway just to support – this is foolishness; if you’re doing this, spare grandma and save yourself!
Find Your Tribe
Some of the people in these groups are going to have to come to the harsh reality that perhaps, your friends and family don’t want your cupcakes, they don’t want to come to the club to watch you perform, they are not interested in the topics that you blog about, or they don’t like the type of shoes that you sell. But guess what – that’s OK! There are 6 billion people in the world; there are over 2 billion on Facebook, and a few other billion on Instagram and other platforms that are probably interested in what you’re offering. Your goal is to learn the skills you need in order to reach YOUR audience – and many times your friends and family are not your audience.
So, as a group of creators and future entrepreneurs, we have to stop of having unrealistic expectations of others. Also, if you’re one of those people who often complain about people not supporting you, then it’s obvious you haven’t found your community, or your tribe – so you have work to do. Do not look to the same friends and family to be your customers and your client base. You should have the same energy as Tiphani and ask yourself, are you building a ‘friends and family’ business or a global business?
Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion
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