Not long ago, I met an interesting young man, quite ambitious and he is a tile guy, I think he mentioned. He made hay during the run-up of the real estate bubble, but then he didn't have nearly as much work to keep him busy. Luckily, his superior skill and ability to get it right kept him in the referral arena as wealthy clientele choose him for their remodels. Still for this ambitious young man, it was hardly enough, he wanted more, so he now has a new strategy. He has multiple sourcing of income, let me explain.
You see, now he has become an independent contractor salesperson for a major cable and Internet service provider. Whenever he goes and does the tile for any of his clients, or even when he helps his friends who are also doing tile, he mentions to the people that own the home that they might like to try the new high-speed Internet and bundled services. Sometimes he does subcontracting work for other contractors where they send him onto a job site to do tile. He said he never misses a beat, and asks everyone if they need Internet and cable TV services, and if any of their friends might as well.
Next, whenever he gets referred to put in Internet or cable, while he is doing that he turns on his salesmanship charm and asked the residents if they need any remodeling or tile work done at their home either inside the home, or out on the patio. He will even do special brick work and other minor remodeling construction services, anything that he is good at. Now, he may very well have a contract with the cable company, where he is supposed to do their business, and not sell other things on the job.
Many companies like this have such stipulations in their contract to prevent conflict of interest or lawsuits. Despite that legal agreement, is it ethical or is it non-ethical to be soliciting side jobs while working for another service company, or corporation? One could say that he is only trying to make a living, and being friendly with the people that own the home. Others might say he is in a trusted position, and when he goes to sell other services, he is "selling away" a term which is used in the broker-dealer business, and it has implications in the securities and investment regulatory environment.
Sometimes there is a gray area between what is proper, what is legal, what has been contracted for, and free speech, common courtesy, and non-spoken rules of human communication. I offer up this example and case study for you to consider and think on. Please consider it.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative eBook on Business Ethics. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7191093
You see, now he has become an independent contractor salesperson for a major cable and Internet service provider. Whenever he goes and does the tile for any of his clients, or even when he helps his friends who are also doing tile, he mentions to the people that own the home that they might like to try the new high-speed Internet and bundled services. Sometimes he does subcontracting work for other contractors where they send him onto a job site to do tile. He said he never misses a beat, and asks everyone if they need Internet and cable TV services, and if any of their friends might as well.
Next, whenever he gets referred to put in Internet or cable, while he is doing that he turns on his salesmanship charm and asked the residents if they need any remodeling or tile work done at their home either inside the home, or out on the patio. He will even do special brick work and other minor remodeling construction services, anything that he is good at. Now, he may very well have a contract with the cable company, where he is supposed to do their business, and not sell other things on the job.
Many companies like this have such stipulations in their contract to prevent conflict of interest or lawsuits. Despite that legal agreement, is it ethical or is it non-ethical to be soliciting side jobs while working for another service company, or corporation? One could say that he is only trying to make a living, and being friendly with the people that own the home. Others might say he is in a trusted position, and when he goes to sell other services, he is "selling away" a term which is used in the broker-dealer business, and it has implications in the securities and investment regulatory environment.
Sometimes there is a gray area between what is proper, what is legal, what has been contracted for, and free speech, common courtesy, and non-spoken rules of human communication. I offer up this example and case study for you to consider and think on. Please consider it.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative eBook on Business Ethics. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7191093
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