You may have heard that Ed McMahon’s in mortgage trouble and that Donald Trump has reportedly offered to purchase McMahon’s Beverly Hills home and rent it back to him. While the two men are friends, I’m sure McMahon never thought he’d need a financial boost from The Donald.

The point is this: You don’t know what you’ll need, so why burn bridges? Too many companies adopt a transactional approach to business rather than building relationships. While GE, CVS, and other larger companies may get away with treating people as ATMs and data points, small business owners need to be especially careful to build value with clients, customers, and casual contacts. You never know when the guy sitting next to you at the ballpark might lead you to your next great business opportunity.

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