If you cannot clearly identify the bargaining chips your small business is willing to give away in exchange for something else that is more valuable, you may push the other negotiator back into a corner and lessen your ability to close the deal, according to MBA Toolbox. The same can be said for negotiating without a clear sense of your non-negotiable demands, which are the things you must have to close the deal. Without a clear plan of what your small business is willing to give and what it expects in return, you may bring negotiations to a complete standstill.