《My Memoirs》 04.10 | It Was During a Crisis That I Learned What a True Business Partnership Really Means

《我的回忆录》04.10｜危机的时候，我才知道什么是真正的合作伙伴

English Version ⬇️

2021年初，英国第二次全国 Lockdown 如期而至。门店再次关闭，收入再次归零。但企业并不会因为停止营业所有问题就一起暂停。

那时候，我最大的压力来自现金流。没有营业收入，却依然需要面对租金、商业税以及各种固定支出。我的第一反应不是等待，而是主动联系 Landlord，希望能够讨论租金减免以及延期支付的可能性。

很多人会觉得，这是一场谈判。但后来我发现，它更像是一场沟通。因为我知道，对方也是一家企业。他们同样承受着资金压力，也有自己的责任和困难。

所以，我没有选择逃避，也没有因为压力而失去联系。我们选择坦诚地说明公司的现状，分享我们能够承担的方案。等到门店重新营业后，我们第一时间安排面对面沟通，把之前没有解决的问题一件一件处理。

👉 回头看，那次经历让我明白了一件事：

📍 很多合作关系，并不是在一切顺利的时候建立起来的，而是在最困难的时候，经受住了考验。后来我越来越相信，真正的商业合作，从来不是一方赢、一方输。而是在困难的时候，双方都愿意坐下来，寻找一个能够一起走下去的办法。

📍 这也是我一直坚持的一件事：遇到问题，永远不要逃避。因为逃避只会让信任越来越少。而坦诚沟通，往往会给彼此留下更多解决问题的机会。

很多年以后再回头看，我很庆幸，当时我选择的是面对，而不是沉默。

也正是这些经历，让我更加相信：

📍 真正的合作关系，并不是在一切顺利的时候建立起来的。而是在最困难的时候，双方是否依然愿意相信彼此。因为真正长久的商业合作，靠的不只是合同。更是信任。

《My Memoirs》 04.10 | It Was During a Crisis That I Learned What a True Business Partnership Really Means

At the beginning of 2021, the UK entered its second national lockdown. Our store closed once again, and our revenue dropped back to almost zero. But just because the business stopped trading didn't mean the challenges stopped, too.

At that time, my biggest concern was cash flow. With little or no income coming in, we still had to cover rent, business rates and many other fixed costs. My first instinct wasn't to wait. It was to reach out to our landlords and start a conversation about rent relief and deferred payments.

Many people would see this as a negotiation. Looking back, I realised it was really a conversation. Because they are business too and they were facing financial pressure,responsibilities and uncertainty, just like we were.

So instead of avoiding difficult conversations, we chose to be open about our situation, explain what we could realistically manage.

Our goal wasn't to "win" the discussion. It was to find a solution that both sides could live with. Once the stores reopened, we arranged face-to-face meetings as soon as possible to work through the issues that had been left unresolved.

👉 Looking back, that experience taught me something I have never forgotten.

📍 Some business relationships aren't built when everything is going well. They are built by getting through difficult times together. Over the years, I've come to believe that the best business partnerships aren't about one side winning and the other losing. They're about both sides being willing to sit down, communicate honestly, and find a way forward together.

👉 Since then, I've always believed in one principle:

📍 Never avoid difficult conversations. Avoiding them only weakens trust. Honest communication, on the other hand, creates more opportunities to solve problems together.

Many years later, I'm still grateful that I chose to face the situation rather than stay silent. Because what I learned was this:

📍 The strongest business relationships aren't built when times are easy. They're built when both sides continue to trust each other, even when times are hard.

In the end, lasting partnerships are built on more than contracts. They're built on trust.