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Honesty is the Best Policy
Proverbs 21:6
"The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death."
Have you ever bought something used and walked away hoping that what you bought was a good product? The reason you felt that way was because you either heard about someone who bought something from someone who was dishonest, or you purchased something in the past from someone who didn't tell you the truth about what you purchased. This is what the verse above is talking about when it says, "The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro..." God is teaching us in this verse that we need to be honest in our business dealings. Let me give you several principles that you need to follow when you are conducting business.
First, remember that you will see that person again. Whenever you perform business with someone, you need to be sure that you would not be ashamed to see that person again if they purchased something from you. Most likely you will see them again, and you don't want to become a person who has to avoid them because of your shady business dealings. If you are honest with them about everything you know, then you won't have any problem with seeing them in the future.
Second, remember they will tell others about how you do business. The one thing I like about the internet is that you can find reviews about a company or product. Others who have done business with a company or have purchased a product in the past will place a review to help others know what they are getting. Be sure to do business with others in such a way that they would write a great review about you.
Third, don't withhold important information about the product you are trying to sell. I would rather not sell something that has problems than to sell it and have someone find out that I didn't tell them everything that was wrong. Christian, you have your testimony on the line, and it is not worth ruining it just to make a few extra bucks. If there is something wrong with a product that you are selling, then be sure to disclose that to the person trying to purchase it. You may not be able to make as much money as you want on that product, but you will find that your honesty will help you to sell more in the future.
Fourth, be sure to fulfill your side of the deal. If you promised that you would do something, then be sure to do it. Don't promise something and then come short. There is nothing worse than having an almost finished product. You will hurt your name greatly by not fulfilling what you promised. Don't just fulfill what you promised, but go beyond what you promised. This will help others to want to do business with you again.
Fifth, always have paperwork. Whenever you do business, you would be wise to have everything written down. This will keep both sides honest. Just because they are a Christian does not mean they are honest. Some of the worst people I have done business with are Christians. Write down everything you expect so that there are no misunderstandings.
Last, make it a win-win situation. When both sides come out of the deal feeling like they won, then you have done good business. There should be something in every deal that both sides feel like they won. If you conduct your business with this policy, then you will be able to conduct business for a long time. Be careful about how you do business. Always remember that honesty in business is the best policy. This keeps your name good, and will cause people to want to do business with you again in the future.