In a corporate world, integrity matters more than anything. (Source)
Deciding to start your own business isn’t an easy decision. It’s something no one undertakes lightly, but it’s often a worthy venture when it comes to your career. However, you’re going to need to do it properly, to make sure you become the boss you’ve always wanted to be.
If you’re a small business owner, you’re going to need to build yourself a good reputation, both offline and online, and one of the main ways to do so is to have integrity in everything you do. Business practices are what we build as we go on, and how ethical and trustworthy they are depends on you as the owner. So here’s a couple of ideas to keep in mind about building your integrity, to make sure you’re the company your community can rely on.
Collaborate with Other Companies
Collaborating is something businesses do well, when the right partners are involved, and when you’ve got a marketing campaign or a new development to undertake, the work is always better completed when shared. Of course, you don’t have to work alongside the businesses that share your sector – they are your competition after all.
Outsourcing is sometimes the best option you have on your plate, and it allows your business more exposure and fair dealings within your operating community. For example, if you’ve got an office renovation in the works, find out what the best construction companies are and get to hiring them on – there tends to be at least one in every town out there. Simply, show off what a good boss you are with a firm and fair contract, and open communications whenever a partner needs it. The more local a firm is, the better for your company’s future.
Don’t Over Promise to the Customer
If anything, under promise and then over deliver. When you’ve got people to impress on a regular basis, and their review on your practices literally means the world, you’re going to need to keep yourself in their good books. And the only way to do that is to only promise when you can actually deliver.
For example, if a customer needs an item that you don’t have in stock, order it in for them and then keep it aside for them to collect. You can go further than this, and offer to ship the piece out when it arrives, but keep offers like this within reason – don’t offer to ship the product out if your business can’t afford it, or won’t be able to ship within the time limit. You’ll just disappoint the customer and potentially lose them completely.
Building integrity in a small business can be hard to do, and you’re going to be at this game for a long time, but it’s not an impossible venture. The more you operate and the more you network, the better. Now’s your chance to build the best foundation – make sure you’re coming off as open and honest as possible.
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Now is the time to let your passion SHINE.
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To your success,
Vinh Van Lam & Stuart Horrex
