Always Do The Right Thing

A few tips to be a happy and successful small business owner.

Being a small business owner has numerous ups-and-downs, and you work with many types of people in numerous industries. To do well, you have to be confident, maintain expert skills in a certain area and set boundaries for what you will and will not do. The amount of work and time involved can be overwhelming.

But, there is one thing that will keep you on the right path throughout your entrepreneurial career… always do the right thing. If you make decisions that you feel good about, you will be successful.

And what do I mean by doing the right thing?

1.      Take the High Road.

When making decisions, always make positive choices. Your main goal should be to provide the best services possible for your customers. If they have complaints or suggestions, address and fix them as soon as possible. If you have to deal with negative people, don’t let them get to you. Remain positive and learn from what they are telling you. Remember, it’s not personal. It’s business. By listening to customers and thinking before you speak, you can turn a bad situation around and create positive word-of-mouth.

2.      Go Above and Beyond.

One way to have a competitive edge is to always give your customers more than they expect. Provide extra services, a free sample, personal communications… whatever they need to help them reach their goals. By actually caring about your customers’ needs, instead of making more money, you will create happy and loyal customers who will tell their friends about you. And this will lead to more sales in the long run!

3.      Say “No” When Necessary.

Now, just because you want to give your customers the best experience possible, that’s no reason to always say “Yes!” If you agree to everything, you won’t have enough time to grow your business, you’ll waste time and effort, and most important, your stress level will grow fast!

Instead, figure out your goals, the type of customers you want to have, your schedule, and the overall work/life balance you desire. Then, you can base your decisions on these main points and say “No” to projects that don’t fit into your overall plan.

And if you are in marketing, PR or another, service-based industry, it’s also a good idea to be very specific when you start new projects with clients. Write down exactly what you plan to do, how much it will cost and the timeline so you are on the same page with the work planned. This way, you will have a better chance of pleasing the new client while maintaining control of your time and fee-structure.

Do You Do the Right Thing with Your Business?

While you may see a lot of people lie, cheat, steal, make false promises, and do more to get ahead, it doesn’t pay in the long run. They may have more money and seem successful, but what’s happening inside? Are they happy at home? Do they feel good about the choices they’ve made?

Once you have a foundation for your values and how you want to run your business, stick to it!

Make positive decisions, give your customers the best products and service possible, and turn work away when it doesn’t fit into your overall plan. If you are a happy entrepreneur and create loyal customers, the money will follow. But more important, you’ll create a business and reputation you’ll be proud to call your own!

Do you need help sell your products and services to your target market? Check out these articles, and feel free to contact me here.