Ignorance is bliss... sometimes yes, but most of the time no. If you are a home business owner, who is seriously trying to build a business and succeed, you can't afford to play the ignorance card.

You need to be a responsible business owner who knows the rules and regulations that go with running a business online, specifically YOUR business. More importantly, you need to adhere to them. If you don't, not only do you pay the price, but so do others, which is unfair to them.

It is one thing if you want to disrupt and put a bad mark on your own business, but to put other individuals or companies out, that is just plain selfish and unprofessional.

I cannot tell you how many times over the years that people have submitted articles, message board postings, listings or ads to us in our free promotion areas, only to come back and demand that they be removed or changed because;

1.) They didn't do the research on what they could and couldn't do online for their direct sales company business.

2.) They failed to verify what they submitted to look for errors in their business name, email address or url.

3.) They didn’t read and follow the instructions or rules as to how a specific website runs or what they accept.

Many of these home business owners can be downright rude in their attitude and insisting that we have to remove or change something immediately that they submitted to us.

It's one thing to humbly approach a company and tell them that you made a mistake, asking if they could remedy the error for you. It is another thing to be flippant and expect that the company take care of your mistake. This in turn not only gives you and your company a bad name, but also causes the company that has offered you these free services, to spend their time, and money to change something that you decided to be ignorant about. When someone has approached me in a way that I see as unprofessional or rude, they are the last person I would ever consider going to for a product or service I may need in the future.

There are also those individuals who don't read the rules for directories, memberships or message boards on what is and isn't allowed, and they proceed to do what they want. Again, the ignorance you have chosen is causing you to look bad to those who can view your public behavior and at the same time is creating extra work and money spent for the site owners to remove listings, posts and/or memberships.

So, make sure that you step up to the plate with your responsibility to understand what it is you can do in regards to your business, as your ignorance will eventually shine a bad light on both you and your business.

Cyndi Webb is the Founder and President of Moms Network - an organization dedicated to the promotion and success of Moms in business. Since 1997 she has promoted and worked with thousands of work at home moms in coaching and guiding them in how to help grow their businesses. Over the years Moms Network has evolved to include more than 15 websites offering free resources to moms from all walks of life, the Connecting @ Home print magazine and the annual Celebrating Moms Expo which attracts thousands of moms in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Cyndi makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and two children.

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