Did you know? Ferengi Fridays are on Linkedin

The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition were written by the first Grand Nagus and offer 285 rules (give or take) upon which the Ferengi, a very money-focused race of aliens, base their lives. The accumulation of wealth was more important to them than family or friends, and while these were essentially used to portray the Ferengi as a greedy, self-centered race, surprisingly, they can also make good business sense. In fact, Nick Gunn, who is the founder and CEO of The Nivack Group and a Star Trek fan, has found a way to utilize them to help other business owners build their businesses.

Every Friday, Gunn posts a “Ferengi Friday” graphic which is a picture of Quark, and above the graphic is the rule and how it can be applied to business in a good way…not a greedy one. Using the hashtag #FerengiFriday, business owners can follow Gunn so they don’t miss out on these kernels of wisdom that have kept the Ferengis financially solvent for decades.

": .Ferengi Friday was popular last week so we’re back with another rule from the ‘Ferengi Rules of Acquisition’.Frankly, this one applies to a variety of business situations. Here are two:1) I’ve seen a lot of Corporate M&A in my days and it’s fair to say that at least one of those acquisitions was quite costly…2) Often, ‘too much’ money gets spent in Procurement due to a lack of training and/or information.I always knew Star Trek was educational!"

Although Zek, the Grand Nagus, initiated sweeping reform that changed Ferengi society and prevented the Rules of Acquisition from being taught in schools, (See Star Trek: Deep Space Nine “Dogs of War”) these written bits of wisdom are still available for those who choose to use them. Those who do so may just experience business growth. Just be careful how you choose to apply the rules as some, like those listed below, should be reserved for the Ferengi alone.

"Rule #21 Never place a friendship above profit.Rule #53 Never trust anybody taller than you.Rule #87 Learn the customer’s weaknesses, so that you can better take advantage of him."

Who knew the Rules of Acquisition could actually benefit modern society?