Enterprise Nation

When you run your own business, you are ‘out there’ - in the public realm - with you and your product on display. This can lead to critical comments coming your way; critiques of your service or comments posted on features profiling you across the media. How best to deal with this?

Constructive … or not?

When a criticism is aimed at your business, it’s hard to take. With business being such a personal affair, it’s like someone saying your baby is ugly. That’s not nice. But is it constructive?

Ask yourself if the criticism is constructive. Is the person making a point about your service that would be useful to take on board and lead to an improved product? If so, take it on the chin and thank the commentator. 

If the person making the comment is just having a rant that serves no purpose, read the comment and move on. Resist the temptation to respond with an equally stinging attack! Instead, and if you need to, go read all the positive comments that people have made about the business as this will remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Ignorance is bliss

Of course, the other option is to not look in the first place! I recently heard an author talk about a book she’s written on the life of George Eliot. Apparently Eliot’s husband hid the papers that contained unfavourable book reviews. With the internet now a powerful communication tool, it’s nigh to impossible to ignore commentary but I can’t help thinking that being oblivious to it, is no bad thing .. as long, of course, as you have enough happy customers who keep on coming back!

How do you deal with criticism? Let us know your views and tactics here in the comments, or in the forum. - Emma Jones