Curing The Hookup Hiccups – A Black Entrepreneur Epidemic

Black people love the hookup but is it stopping black entrepreneurs from wealth?

When I started networking online a little bit more. I was curious to see what were people’s biggest frustrations in the community were. The biggest complaint was that we don’t like to work with one another. The reason why is for whatever reason we expect a hook up or discount.

It’s disappointing on about three levels. For one it’s the fact that this is someone’s business and they are trying to make a living. Two would try this with someone who doesn’t look like you? Black people might not be the best tippers, but they don’t have a problem with paying the price presented in most cases. That brings me to the final level which is we don’t come off as any type of humble. Only saying at the site of price “that’s a little expensive can you bring the price down?” It might come off better if we simply said “I would love to use your service because it sounds like a great value. I just can’t afford it it quite yet. Can you work with me?”  For whatever reason some people have a hard time being humble. It’s a plague that’s rooted in ego and amplified by a seasoned crab mentality.

This is best way to catch the Hookup Hiccups. What’s that you ask? Allow me to explain. Hookup Hiccups by definition are “the end result of any enterprised action that may cause a setback due lack in quality, timeliness, or overall dissatisfaction with the end result.” In other words when you go cheap or cut corners , you may find yourself with some regret. Hence the name hiccups. With so much riding on your success, you should take the mentality that these things are investments and not cost.

These hiccups cause us to fail in a bigger sense because we can’t get to the point to at least looking the part. Somethings are not DIY. The problem i we won’t take the time to learn from those experiences. We have to be more vigilant about doing better business, instead of the “I’m shopping with them route.” By changing the mindset you can get rid the disease for good. Here’s some ways to cure the hookup hiccups.

Ask Yourself Some Questions

If something seems to be a little expensive, there’s a good reason why. You can ask yourself is it worth it but that depends on how you determine it’s value. How much time are you saving? How much money are you making from what you paid for? Does it provide a piece of mind? If it doesn’t work can I get my money back? Once you determine the value something brings, you are much more likely to be  satisfied with your purchases.

Be Thorough With Who You Are Spending Money With

Let’s contiue to ask questions. After you ask yourself some, ask the business as many questions that will allow you to become comfortable. Ask about the refund policy. Look into the service and what it consist of. Make sure you get everything you need and identify where your need for more would be. Taking some time to get familiar with business before you invest will allow you to rest easy

Ask Others or Read Reviews

The surest way to set expectations is to ask past customers. In most cases you can ask the business owner for some references.  Other times you might find contact information in the portfolio. Businesses often have pages with Google, Yelp, Angie’s List, Amazon and others that show real customer reviews. The quality work will speak for itself, especially when work actually has a voice

If you are still suffering up from the Hookup Hiccups then you might need to reconsider your approach to life. We need a real hard look at what we want out of each other. It’s important we set the tone for the next generation and show the correct way to conduct business. Some of us are past the point of changing our ways but for the rest of us let’s turn the corner. Instead of saying support black businesses,  let’s support great black business. Let’s help the community really grow.