If you have a business, you can’t operate on your own. You need to have a stable relationship with various entities. Without them, you won’t be able to handle the day-to-day tasks that keep your company running.
We’ll take a moment right now to talk about the outside organizations with which you need to cultivate business relationships. Most of them are there to help you, so staying friendly with them will always be a wise thing to do.
OSHA
OSHA is shorthand for the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations. Essentially, it’s an entity that exists to protect workers.
Some business owners think about OSHA harshly. You have to remember, though, they stop companies from allowing unsafe working conditions that can harm employees. Without OSHA, some dishonest companies would downplay worker injuries and deaths so they can save money or avoid bad publicity.
You’ll need to let OSHA inspectors see your brick-and-mortar stores from time to time, assuming you don’t have a strictly eCommerce business model. They can tell you about the safeguards you must have in place to avoid accidents.
If you ever do have an OSHA violation injury accident, you might face some steep fines. If that happens, don’t grumble about it. Instead, take steps to make sure nothing like what took place ever happens again. Your workers will thank you for it.
The IRS
Your business and the IRS will also need to have a productive relationship. You need the IRS because your company will need to file taxes with them every year. Your employees will have to hand over their W2 forms, which let the IRS know how many hours each worker is putting in.
If you run afoul of the IRS, your business is going to be in serious trouble in no time. Some companies try to defraud the IRS to keep more of their revenue, but that’s almost always a mistake.
The IRS was the entity that eventually took down notorious Chicago crime boss Al Capone when no one else was able to do it. Make sure you keep them happy if you want your business to keep running smoothly.
Credit Card Companies
It’s also more than likely your business will want to partner with some credit card companies. The more payment methods your company has, the more likely you can attract a diverse customer base.
You’ll probably want to do business with American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, at a minimum. There are also some lesser-known credit card companies that you may want to accept. You’ll need to look at those and make a decision about each one.
American Express tends to charge higher fees, so some companies elect not to accept them. Still, many consumers like them, and if you decide not to take them, you might lose a few potential customers that way.
PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
Speaking of payment methods, you’ll likely want to do business with PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. If you have brick-and-mortar stores, you can set up Apple Pay, and the customers can pay for their purchases via their smartphones. All they do is tap the phone at the acceptance point, and the payment takes place automatically.
This is a new technology, and some businesses shy away from it. The sooner you accept it, though, the better it will be for you. It sends your customers the message that you embrace modern technology and advancements.
If you have a strictly online business model, you’ll want to take PayPal and possibly some cryptocurrency forms. You can learn more about them or hire a web designer to make your site compatible with the ones you want to take. Again, the more payment methods you accept, the better it’s going to be for you.
Chambers of Commerce
You’ll also probably want to have a strong chamber of commerce relationship if you have brick-and-mortar locations in a particular geographic region. Chambers of commerce are there to protect local businesses. They usually have a director’s board that looks after local business concerns.
If you ever have a problem, your chamber of commerce reps can help you. They can instruct you on how best to handle the various issues that might arise.
Depending on your business model, you may have to speak to reps from other agencies and entities as well. The better connected your business is and the more valuable relationships you cultivate, the more likely your success is.
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