![]() ![]() Many small businesses seem to forget members of staff are consumers too. If we take the car to another mechanic who tells us the first garage billed us for numerous items that did not need to be repaired, we are likely to take our car to the second garage in the future. We are all familiar with the scenario of a mechanic who has given us an expensive shopping list of repairs. ![]() If you don’t know the answer to a question, say you are not sure but will find out, rather than giving a false answer. If you maintain a relationship with customers, you are more likely to receive repeat business and they are more likely to refer other people to you. The best businesses provide after care and follow up and are willing to solve problems even if they are not making money. Part of integrity is seeing your service to clients or customers as being akin to a relationship rather than a sale. Whatever your business, you should look beyond the sale or transaction. If you are being dishonest with the wholesalers you buy products from, it may not directly affect your relationship with your clients or customers, but it may make employees believe it’s acceptable to act in an untrustworthy way that will take root in your business. If you operate with integrity in everything you do, you are more likely to give your customers or clients a good impression. Don’t make a customer sign a contract in ignorance and later show him small print that you didn’t mention at the time of sale. The customer who is expecting it to last for eight years will end up with a negative impression of your business. If the bed falls apart after two years, a customer who has been told it will last two years will have no false expectations. Make sure they are not saying it’s a great deal and it will last for eight years. If you are selling low price beds that are flimsy, get your sales staff to tell customers the bed is only $120, but they likely won’t get more than two years out of it. It’s all very well to talk about being ethical but how does it work in practice? Here are six ways you can operate with honesty and integrity. If you are dishonest in business, it will catch up with you and your reputation will be tarnished. The absence of a code of ethics does not mean small businesses should act in a way that would be unthinkable for professionals. ![]() There is no universal written code of ethics and no regulatory body to impose sanctions on them. Small business owners operate in the same marketplace as the so-called professionals but there is a key difference. There are also strict rules for architects, CPAs, medical doctors, dentists, financial planners, estate agents and stock brokers to ensure they operate with honesty and integrity and don’t make misleading claims. Rules are often set out by state bars and there can be sanctions for breaking them. Attorneys, for example, operate under very specific and professional standards that are published. Some highly professional businesses must operate within a framework that sets out specific ethics rules. Honesty and integrity is not just important but is vital to the success of a small business. Honesty and integrity should be the norm in any small business, and yet we often hear of poisonous and duplicitous business environments that can affect staff and customers. What It Means to Operate with Honesty and Integrity in Small Business
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