Ask for it!

I was recently involved in a presentation of Women in Business. One of the women presenting discussed how in general, women don't ask for what they want. Whether or not that's a true statement that defines a gender, it's definitely true that negotiating is a very difficult thing for a lot of people and asking for what you want is sometimes even more so.

I know it is for me.

As I drove home from that seminar, I realized that there was a time when I didn't ask for it when I should have. That was during lease negotiations. I was so worried about the big thing - rent - that I felt that if I asked for all the little things, I wouldn't get the big thing - lower rent. (The little things included what we can do with our windows, parking spaces, the trash, etc)

Well, my rent wasn't significantly lower in the end and in the almost 5 years I've operated my retail business, the rent actually hasn't been that big a deal. In fact, all those little things I didn't ask for have actually been more a thorn in my side and more of a nuisance to day-to-day operations.

I should have at least asked. The worst that would have happened is they would have said no.

Ask for it. The worst that can happen is someone will say no.