When "Who You Know" Can Really Hurt Your Entrepreneurial Success. Here's why.

The opinions expressed by entrepreneurs contributors are their own.

Almost everyone, in every industry, knows the adage that success is based on who you know, not what you know. This can certainly be true.

We all want a large network of people, colleagues and friends. It is and helps us have a community we can turn to when we want to socialize, discover solutions to everyday life, and advance our careers.

Do you have back problems? Ask someone you know to recommend a good doctor. Visiting somewhere out of town and want great restaurant recommendations? Ask a friend. Are you trying to raise seed capital for your startup entrepreneurial concept? Ask a colleague if they know of any investors to introduce to you.

That's how it works. Who you know helps you succeed in all aspects of life. Right? Maybe. But it can also be a "false positive", especially when it comes to business. How? Let me share a few ways an existing network can hurt you when pitching your project to people.

1. The person you know may not be a decision maker

Just because you know someone with an important title doesn't mean they can endorse or push your project where it needs to go. Sometimes they can, but usually not, especially today when authority and decision-making have become a complex web.

2. They don't look at you in business terms

If you have a friend in an influential position, it may be difficult for them to take you seriously in business. They know you as a friend or neighbor and have separated work from staff. They don't see you the same way your co-workers do. They can be polished. But will they bet their business reputation on someone they know on the street? Maybe at first glance the answer is "safe", but behind closed doors? Not necessarily. These "friends" can be the most devastating. They "gentle" you to death and blame others for the ultimate "no" you receive. Unfortunately, you were never lucky.

Related: Friends Without (Off) Benefits: Mixing Business with Pleasure

3. It may be harder for you to ask a friend for a favor

Let's say your wife's best friend is married to a business owner and you ask him for a favor. What happens to those weekly Friday night dinners or Sunday brunches? This couple will suddenly find excuses to skip these traditional events. Why? The husband does not want to be harassed, nor to be confronted with someone he cannot help. Friendship days have been changed (or gone completely) and your wife is mad at you forever.

4. Bad impressions on another project are hard to break

If you already have a network of people to go to for your projects and you've made bad choices or produced poor projects with them (even if it's just once), they will remember it. Any new work you bring into the fold will be cast in the shadow of your old job or behavior. It is difficult to wipe a slate clean once it has been soiled. This is even more true in today's business atmosphere. Most executives are overly sensitive and risk averse when protecting their jobs. You must beware. It's hard to reinvent yourself. Lots of people do it at some point...