The power of saying no: why not every deal is worth it

ONE of the biggest myths in business is that you have to say “yes” to every opportunity.

- 

That's like saying you should accept every WhatsApp group invite - before you know it, your phone is flooded with ‘good morning’ GIFs and unsolicited voice notes from people you barely remember.

The truth is, saying no can be one of the most powerful business moves you can make. Not every deal is a good deal, not every partnership is worth the handshake, and not every client is worth the headache.

In my time as an entrepreneur and investor, I've learned many hard lessons which have taught me to recognise bad deals very quickly.

These lessons have also taught me that saying ‘no’ to these types of deals will free up capital and resources for when the right deal inevitably comes along.

So, to help you save yourself some time and money as well, here are the five ways by which I determine whether it’s time say no (without feeling guilty):

1. The math doesn’t math

If you find yourself reaching for a calculator ten times just to get a deal to make sense and the figures to line up, they probably don’t and never will.