Building a Business is Building Trust

If people don't trust you they wont spend money with you. If people refuse to spend money with you then you won't have a business. Without trust, the whole basis of the business is gone.


How do you build trust?
I think its a combination of factors. Communicating well and doing the work. In Short, make promises and keep them. If you can't keep them (especially the time bound ones) yell for help.

Contact the client before the client contacts you. Explain the challenges, propose solutions.
Hopefully you had delivered in the past and your client allows you some leeway.

If its a new client, I hope for your sake you had acted professionally from the get go. Showing up on time for your meetings, establishing and meeting communication deadlines etc For every new client, your track record begins to be established from the first point of contact not the work you have online. You are judged squarely on current actions.

Trust is also a big issue when hiring people.Security is a big problem. Trusting people to not steal company property (intellectual property included) and trusting people to get the job done. The worker is also extending trust the boss to lead well, make the right decisions and deliver on their promise to pay them at the end of the month. The boss is trusting the worker to deliver on the work so that the company can earn revenue and turn a profit.

One of my biggest challenges in seeking out people to do work online is trust - especially for the cheaper people in places like the Philippines and India. I just don't know who is legit and who is not and I don't want to find out after I have spent my money and my job is not delivered. Dishonesty is definitely expensive, more trustworthy/reliable people please.