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|In: Books|Last Updated: | 1 Comment

Each one of us would agree that Indian Mythology is very rich & there are tons of things that can be learnt from it.  If we look back at our day to day life, everything that we do has someway or the other got some mythological angle to it !! It would be interesting if the two dots namely “Mythology” & “Business” are connected & this is what forms gist of the book – “Business Sutra” by Devdutt Pattanaik.

About the author

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik is an Indian physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology & management. He is the Chief Belief Officer,CBO of “Future Group” bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especially in human resource management [Source – Wikipedia]

Detailed Review

Business Sutra uses stories from Indian [particularly Hindu, Buddhist & Jain] mythology & shows how it’s learning’s can be used to run a small/medium sized business or in our day to day work in a large corporation [MNC]. Diagrammatic representation of the mythological characters makes the book an interesting read, without which the reader would have do lot of research to understand the connections !!!

Some of the important key take away’s from the book are given below [excerpts taken from the book]:

3B Framework

It briefly describes the the connection between “Belief” & “Business” & calls it the 3B Framework – Belief, Behavior & Business. The author says “Belief plays a key role in business: it determines choices and propels the decisions of buyers & sellers, regulators and shareholders, investors & entrepreneurs, employers & employees, vendors & customers. It determines how we do business and what ultimately gets done.” As is Belief, so is Behavior, so is Business i.e. Business is a direct outcome of our Behavior, which in turn is influenced by our belief.

Food for Yagna [Exchange]

Lakshmi – Wealth, Durga – Power that grants security & authority, Saraswati – Human Imagination & Knowledge. Only a person who understands that philosophy is the seed of all economic & political decisions can understand that every human being has a different philosophy & only the wise are able to accommodate everybody’s philosophy. Entrepreneurs & risk- taking investors are the best examples of this category !!!

Being a “Sattva”

Each person has different Guna [personality] & they are broadly classified into three categories – Tamas, Rajas, Sattvas. A person with “Tamas” guna will agree with what majority says. He of  “Rajas” guna will see Lakshmi [wealth] as the end target. He of  “Sattva” guna will see Lakshmi as an indicator of personal growth. In most societies, people with “Tamas” guna form the majority pack which is directed by the minority pack of “Sattva” guna.

Business Sutras

  1. Every Devata seeks a high Return On Investment [ROI].
  2. We have to make room for others.
  3. He who takes the call is a Karta & everyone is a potential Karta.
  4. A Karta who allows & enables others to take a call is called a “Yajaman”.
  5. Size of the contribution does not matter.
  6. Not everyone can handle the burden of “Uncertainty”
  7. Decisions are contextual. If the decisions are good, the Yajaman is beneficiary & if they are bad, the Yajaman alone is responsible.
  8. Regeneration ensures sustainable wealth.
  9. He who satisfies hunger becomes “desirable”.
  10. Strategy is the force than tactic is the counter-force.
  11. If Ambition is the force than Contentment is the counter-force.
  12. If Creativity is the force than Process is the counter-force.
  13. Upstream forces need to be balanced by Downstream forces.
  14. Balance is the key to avoid tug of war.
  15. Impact of an organizational decision varies depending on the source.

Closing Thoughts

“Business Sutra” makes a very interesting read & it brings a fresh and whole new dimension to Business & Mythology. It’s definitely not a breezy read & the reader might need to get into the “mythological” groove to get the best “Sutra(s)” of “Business Sutra” !!!

The book is available on Flipkart here [though the status indicates “Back in Stock Soon” which itself speaks for the awesome work done by Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik :)]

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books !

|In: Business|Last Updated:

Whether you are into a job or doing some business; it is very important to be credible. In this post, we have guest author Matt Doyle who gives us tips on “Improving the Credibility of Business”.

When starting a new business, one of the big challenges that companies often have is making themselves look credible to customers and suppliers. Unless you can gain some level of credibility, you’re going to have a hard time being successful in any industry. If you’re interested in improving the credibility of your business, here are five tips to keep in mind.

Explore Surety Bonds

Buying a surety bond can be a good way to put your customer’s fears at ease when doing business. In some cases, you may be required to have a surety bond anyway. According to the Small Business Administration, you may be contractually obligated to maintain a surety bond to guarantee your performance. With surety bonds, you take the financial risk off of your customer and put it back on you and your surety company. The customer will feel much more comfortable as a result of having this on hand.

Give More Information

Secrecy doesn’t lend itself to credibility. If you want to be able to build some credibility with your customers, give them more information. According to Dun & Bradstreet, you should “provide your customers with a real address for your business & not a P.O. Box.” You should also include information such as a business history, a privacy statement, and other measures to give your customers information about your company.

Credentials

If you want to boost the credibility of your company, you may want to explore the possibility of certification or credentials. One of the best ways for small businesses to gain credibility is via credentials & certifications. Look for ways that you can get certified or join an organization in your field. This makes your company look a lot more legitimate compared to companies that do not have these certifications and organizational memberships. It makes it look like you are serious about your craft.

Online Credibility

When you have a business website, there are ways that you can improve your credibility online as well. According to Dun & Bradstreet, a site that contains real testimonials from satisfied customers will do better than one that doesn’t. You may want to use graphics from online verification services to lend yourself a little bit of credibility as well. If you can find some positive reviews of your products or services online, you may want to link to them from your website. If you’re a member of the Better Business Bureau, include a link to your profile on their site as well. This can go a long way toward making yourself look more credible.

Get Published

Being published in a major publication is perhaps the single best way to achieve credibility. For example, if you can write an article that is published in an industry magazine or on a popular website, this can give you a lot of credibility overall. It shows people in your industry that you are a serious contributor, and it shows your customers that you are a legitimate source of information.

Overall, the process of gaining credibility is not easy. However, if you will keep doing a little bit every day toward making yourself and your business more credible, it can pay big dividends in the future.

About the Author

Matt Doyle is an expert in surety bonds and when he is not writing you can find him traveling the world one random place at a time.

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