Information
In business, the most valuable commodity is information
In business, the most valuable commodity is information, especially if the information is not widely available. Executives need useful, accurate and timely information in order to make good business decisions. The whole industry of information technology is based on this fact.
As a player, you will have to access a whole lot of information. There’s real time data on your enterprise and everyone else’s. There’s annual financial accounting statements. There’s information on the economy including statistics, charts, diagrams and maps. There’s news of events, press releases and analyses of markets and businesses by players. And there’s market research reports, information that can be used to spot trends and opportunities.
You may also want to discover information on reputation, reviews, background, and general public opinion. Management will often provide this information, especially if it increases the likelihood of a transaction. For example, Charles H Greenthal Management manages buildings in NYC and will be responsible for information regarding apartments, rentals, purchases, pricing and availability.
Simple searches for the product or service will often reveal information on the reputation of the business. Add ‘reviews’ or ‘problems’ or ‘scams’ or ‘complaints’ to the search to find issues. Check out RipoffReport.com to see if there are complaints lodged with this site regarding consumer fraud and other complaints.
In some cases, direct queries to the corporate communicators, customer service departments, or press office will be productive. Most legitimate companies have no problems answering questions.
Usually, information is available to anyone who is willing to put in a little effort. It’s almost always better to act on information rather than on intuition, and what others have experienced can be a valuable resource to anyone looking for guidance. Make wise decisions – seek and then use information.