Modern Business 101

Back in the 1980s, a Hong Kong businessman went to an inland Chinese city and wanted to donate a hotel. The local authorities there said no—it wasn't in the regulations, so everything outside them was off the table. The matter reached the top, and eventually, someone of great importance personally penned the plaque for the hotel.

That's the stance. When guests arrive, they're welcome. By writing the plaque himself, he wanted everyone to get it—ours is a business open to all. Guests come, and there's no reason to turn money away.

Why would a businessman offer you a hotel for free? It's a test of your attitude. If you refuse, it shows that in your heart, paying customers don't matter more than bystanders on the street. If you accept, it reveals that in your heart, paying customers outweigh those same bystanders. He's throwing out a probe to find out how much weight you give your clients—then deciding whether to make a major move into your market and do business together.

Only when you value your clients more than onlookers do you have what it takes to build a business together.