I used to think sales were the biggest driver in business. They’re not. Trust is.

Back when I was running iQuest full-time, I tried to win clients with price and fast turnarounds. It got us in the door but what kept us there (long term) was Trust.

Clients trusted we’d show up, deliver, protect their IT systems, own our mistakes, fix things without excuses, and connect them with people who could help.

That trust? It built a business where 99% of our work came from referrals.

Trust is invisible, but it’s powerful. Lose it, and you’re rowing with one oar. Build it, and it compounds. Clients stay. They spend more. They know you’ve got their back and they back you in return.

One of the most common breakdowns I see in SMEs? It’s not pricing. Not process. It’s trust.Trust between owners and staff. Owners and vendors, Staff and clients. Even between business partners.

👉 You can’t scale a business if trust is missing from the room.

So ask yourself:

🔹 Do your clients trust you to do, what you say?

🔹 Do your staff trust your vision and decisions?

🔹 Do you trust your team to follow through and maintain the standard?

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Trust builds referrals. Referrals build war chests. War chests build freedom.

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