Greetings everyone,
I think my heart is very soft and so considerate when it comes to business because I've seen myself many times trying to bring down some standards just to please some people I consider as loved ones. I know the stern warning between business and feelings... not to mix business with pleasure because at the end, the business will surely get the effect and when it has gotten far, seeking a remedy will be a very difficult task.
Experience, they say, teaches the best of lessons. I've had a whole lot of experiences on this subject of love/friendship in businesses and that has made me structure my mind.
During the lockdown period, due to indoor lifestyle, I explored the internet and delved deeply into the world of Ponzi schemes. Ponzi schemes made a lot of waves back then because people were not working and were looking for means to earn online. I met some people along the line who later became very close friends. We earned together and lost together too in those investments; it was all fun. Till today, I'm still very much connected to some of them and I have their money in my crypto wallet due to trust... that's to tell you the level of bond.
In all these, we were just virtual friends, no seeing, and the bond was there.
As life would have it, one of them happened to travel to my city and he called for us to see. You know that kind of thing? The heart buzzed with joy because I was going to meet a friend I had been bonding with for years. We met, enjoyed the moment, and he suggested we cook up a Ponzi platform, not to scam people though because he had a very sure source to double the money invested for us to use in running the platform.
Initially, I didn't succumb to that because we were close and I didn't want anything to come between us, and also, I know what money can do when it comes to scattering good relationships. I later concurred when he assured me that nothing would happen and the agreement between us would be maintained and not allow anything to influence it.
The fact that he was no longer a virtual friend arrested my mind to carry on with the business with him.
We drafted out the plans, stamped the agreement, and I borrowed money to clear my part of the payment to get the business running, such as developing the website for the operation. My mind was so relaxed, no issues at all, I didn't have any reason to adopt some suspicious characters because we were real friends working on a stamped agreement.
When the business got ripe, it got to the time when we were to start getting the benefits in a gradual basis, at least to clear off the borrowed money used for setting up the business, my friend began to come up with many excuses about where he invested the money.
At first, I believed him... that's me, when I trust you, I believe you easily. I didn't want to spoil my mind with many bugging thoughts and that's how this person framed me up and disappeared with the whole money... I didn't get anything to clear off my debt. Can you imagine that?
I was able to bear the hit and accusation and after like a year, he appeared again to beg for forgiveness. I blocked him without a second thought.
Two years ago when I was about to start up the little business I'm currently doing, I was lacking finance and a friend, a very good friend, approached and said let's team up together. Of course, it's a good suggestion, but I declined, things like that don't often end well.
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