Did the Election Mean Business Loss or Gain for You?

This got me thinking about all the political posts that fly around social media and how they affect people positively or negatively. The hair stylist lost my business. On the other hand, posts and humorous pictures by a local plumber show me his political leanings are in line with mine. If I need a plumber in the future, I will probably use him, even though I have someone else I have used in the past. In this case, political positioning can win business, but as noted you could also lose the business.

While I'm pretty passionate politically, I've made the choice to lay low on getting too political in social media. People I'm "friends" with may know my leanings, but I'm still very conscious of what I post. Others, like my wife, tend to be much more vocal about topics they feel strongly about. Many of my industry colleagues are very vocal about one side or the other also. I respect who they are, even though I may disagree with them. I haven't chosen not to do business with a supplier because of their personal social media political posts. Obviously, this is different than the choices I have made about doing business locally. Maybe this is a local vs. national thing. Perhaps I will feel differently someday.

All this leads to the question of how much are you willing to risk to share your views or take a stand on an issue or topic you feel is important? Could you be gaining or losing business and not even know it?

Everyone makes choice about what is right for them and their business. But is your personal choice affecting your business without you even realizing it?

Thank God we live in America where we have the right to express our views. I'm a fan of social media and the conversations that happen there. Social media provides a great opportunity to make a bigger impact on many levels.