by Faizan Haq 

We celebrate the 4th of July as the Independence Day for the United States. If we review the history of the struggle for independence it is very obvious that there were many dependencies that our forefathers opted for while struggling to acquire independence from the British. The disagreement with the British was about making independent choices and not being dictated to by the British government. Basically, it meant choosing our own path and dependencies, our own choices of adversaries and friends. It also constituted deciding in the interests of the people residing in the 13 colonies, who agreed to be united under one banner. 

Establishing a business is no different than forming a new state. It is never about just independence itself, but it is about choosing your own dependencies. Being in business for yourself forces you to increase the number of those who are dependent on you (clients/customers) and rely on those whose interests are aligned with yours (employees, partners, suppliers, etc.). It does not matter whether you are an emerging market nation or a new start-up on the internet, this rule will apply universally. 

The decisions required to strategize dependencies will need in-depth market research; products and services, demand and supply, the competition, etc. The claims that exist out there by people and businesses that they are self-made or are independent are completely false. This is why, when people start a business or influence groups or organizations, they seek like-minded people with the same set of values. They are in fact trying to secure their dependencies. A strong business is like a strong family where reliability of the family members strengthens the family, and the lack of reliability deteriorates a family into lasting resentments.

The most useful asset in business is the people involved. All technologies, resources, and strategies will be useless if the involved parties cannot be depended on. Unfortunately, all planning and promises, all disclaimers that people sign don’t guarantee reliability. It remains, to this date, a matter of qualified decisions based on experience, history, references, and good old gut feeling.