L.A.J. WEEKLY

This is a question that I — along with many of us here at YNOT — am asked on a regular basis, both on the boards and in private emails, and ICQ’s. Personally, I can’t get enough of questions like these.L.A.J. WEEKLY

This is a question that I — along with many of us here at YNOT — am asked on a regular basis, both on the boards and in private emails, and ICQ’s. Personally, I can’t get enough of questions like these. I am here to help, consult and refer. It shows us that we are doing our job when people use YNOT Masters for what it is: the ultimate webmaster resource site! Ask and you shall receive. So in the words of the legend that is YNOT Bob… Bring it on! Simply put, there’s nothing I like better than another satisfied YNOT customer.

Just in the last week or so, as usual, I’ve had several requests from friends, acquaintances, and complete strangers asking for help to find things like a good hosting company; content provider; billing solution; sex toy distributor, etc, one that is right for them, or at least one that I know about and trust.

Rest assured, I am no authority figure on which businesses will be best for every individual situation, and if I don’t know the answer, I will certainly dig for you or refer you to someone else at YNOT or beyond who will, but I have a pretty good idea in many situations. Sometimes unfortunately it is easier to tell someone who not to do business with. This often times goes way beyond just the basic spammers, content thieves, and unethical webmasters out there that make their rounds within our industry, and can include the lazy, disorganized and those that don’t seem to care.

How do you choose someone to do business with? Well first and foremost, how easy is it to get a hold of the point person if this is a business that you have never had any contact with before? A referral from a friend or business associate supplying you with the contact information is one thing, but a sure sign of whether someone is on the up and up, is their accessibility. How easy is it to get a hold of someone that you want to do business with? Is their contact information readily available? Do they provide you with any company information anywhere on their site? Did you find out about them because they spammed you?

All of these are very important questions that you need to ask yourself. Anonymity can serve its purpose, but only up to a point. Once you have sent an introductory email, ICQ or post, does the prospective business associate get back to you in a timely manner? Did anyone get back to you at all? If someone neglects to answer a request for business services, what does that say about the organization and interest level of the person or company themselves?

There are always a few exceptions though of course, so you should always be patient, and it is always a good practice to initially contact more than one person in case someone is out of town or if someone might be too inundated. Everyone has a different view on what is acceptable turn around time for a response, but personally if I don’t get anything within 24 – 48 hours, I move on. I think that is being generous, too. As well, I always make it a practice to remember who gets back to me, and who doesn’t.

Once you have made it through the initial meet and greet phase, one of the hardest parts is over. Now it is simply a question of whether you are able to strike an acceptable deal or not. It would seem like the actual deal making and the aftermath would be the toughest part. But I would disagree here. For starters, you should always read between the lines when signing contracts, consult a lawyer if you need to, and don’t make any rushed decisions until you feel 100% about it. Go with your gut and be aware of any potential red flags that come up whatever they may be. This is your livelihood here. You are not going on a date or buying a new car. Often times, whom you do business with can make or break you. If your instincts tell you that trouble lies ahead, then go with it, and get out while you can, if you can. Ask around for a second opinion, a third, or more. Always better to cut your losses short should there ever be any, especially because the parties involved in many business deals in our industry never meet face to face. Ever. Some have never even spoken on the phone before. Call me skeptical, but I won’t trust someone until they have given me a reason to do so when cutting business deals.

As in with any industry, it always helps to scratch someone’s back. It also helps to never burn bridges regardless of who is right and who is wrong if there was a dispute. In my professional life, I have always held the philosophy that you should seek to do nice things for people, and never expect anything in return. Not only will that show that you are a good person with no ulterior motives, but it saves on disappointment later. Consequently if someone does something nice for you, immediate acknowledgement and if possible a returned favor is critical. That’s just the way I like to operate, and feel that it promotes good business. Oftentimes, people that have treated me well and shown initiative get plenty of referrals to at least open doors for them. Just simply the way you treat people can have a pretty big impact.

And remember that in addition to asking us questions personally at YNOT about who to do business with, you can always get additional information by reading though our service listings , by asking questions on our chat boards and by searching through our extensive webmaster directory .