Are you shocked? Everyone wants their business contacts to conduct business ethically. How could a business advisor suggest otherwise?
Well, let me ask you a different question. What is the differences between Ethics and Business Ethics? We live in a world today that wants to parse and compartmentalize every aspect of life. We have moved into a post-modernism mentality that eschews the idea of absolutes. We are reduced to moral relativism which then requires we define terms for each separate venue of our lives ... hence business ethics.
How would you define the term? Wikipedia defines business ethics as a form of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. Now there is an interesting term - applied ethics. What good are ethics which are not applied? Are ethics not supposed to produce a certain result in your actions? How are these problems of business different than from other areas of life. Am I to be honest in my personal dealings with you, but in a business deal be ok to shade the truth? How about in meeting commitments to others. Does the cloak of business change the level of my responsibilities to others?
There is a very interesting story from the 80's about a Japanese firm's first sale to a US corporation. The US company, in it's order, set an AQL (Acceptable Quality Level) of 95%. As you may know, the AQL states how many defective parts will be accepted in an order before the order is rejected as not conforming to the contract specifications. In this case, the products manufactured by the Japanese firm arrived in two boxes. Along with the boxes was a note from the Japanese CEO. It thanked the US company for their business. The CEO then said that there was some confusion over the order, but the Japanese company had reworked 5% of the product to make it defective, and those defective products were packaged separately.
The Japanese company had an ethic of conforming exactly to specifications! As your business friend, I would encourage you to swap business ethics for just ethics. Be consistent and dedicated to doing what is right. Your business will be blessed for it.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Cameras can be a good thing!
When the average business owner thinks of cameras and video, the images that come to mind are security, discipline, and keeping an eye on things. I recently met someone who changed my thinking on the value of video cameras and current video technology in creating a top performing business.
Imagine your employee is sitting alone at the shop. A customer walks in, complaining about a purchase they made that did not meet their expectation. Your employee engages the frustrated client, listens to their story, determines the root cause for the dissatisfaction and provides a solution which pleases the customer. The customer walks out with the solution and a pleasant feeling about your company.
Now, imagine while sitting at your desk - maybe miles away, you get to see and hear this employee, taking care of one of your customers. Later that afternoon, you walk into the store, tell your employee how much you appreciate they way they handled the customer and give that employee $20 or a gift card, or some other token of your appreciation. Imagine what would happen in your work force?
My business friend, Ryan Reid of ICU Security, LLC, has been providing camera systems to clients for over 15 years. While some clients acquire the systems for traditional surveillance and security functions, Ryan has a whole group of clients that he has trained to use these systems in a much more profitable way. They are using their video systems to:
Imagine your employee is sitting alone at the shop. A customer walks in, complaining about a purchase they made that did not meet their expectation. Your employee engages the frustrated client, listens to their story, determines the root cause for the dissatisfaction and provides a solution which pleases the customer. The customer walks out with the solution and a pleasant feeling about your company.
Now, imagine while sitting at your desk - maybe miles away, you get to see and hear this employee, taking care of one of your customers. Later that afternoon, you walk into the store, tell your employee how much you appreciate they way they handled the customer and give that employee $20 or a gift card, or some other token of your appreciation. Imagine what would happen in your work force?
My business friend, Ryan Reid of ICU Security, LLC, has been providing camera systems to clients for over 15 years. While some clients acquire the systems for traditional surveillance and security functions, Ryan has a whole group of clients that he has trained to use these systems in a much more profitable way. They are using their video systems to:
- Improve Customer Service
- Increase Employee Productivity
- Increase Suggestive Selling
- Accurately Evaluate Employees
- And Reinforce Training
All of these activities contribute to improved business operations and add dollars to the bottom line. Obviously, the investment in such a system can protect against the negative side of business in terms of reducing theft and misappropriation of company assets as well. So, if you are looking for a way to improve the customer service aspects of your business, give my business friend, Ryan Reid, a call and see how he can help you grow your business and your profits through a different way of using video systems. You can visit the ICU Security website by clicking [here].
Monday, May 12, 2008
Search Engine Optimization for Your Business
For those who may not be familiar with the term SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization. This term refers to efforts to get your website to appear at the top of a web search results page, say in Google or Yahoo or any other web search engine. Getting your site to display ahead of your competition can be a significant boost to your business!
There are many companies that offer SEO to their clients. As in all business opportunities some are good businesses that explain exactly what they can and can not do. There are others that can get you the number one ranking - based on search terms that are seldom used. As with all services, make sure you understand what is being offered, what you will have to pay and what performance standards will be used to determine if the work has been accomplished.
Now, to most of us, SEO tends to be a bit like voodoo. Search engine providers create a system of scoring websites to determine which is most likely to have content which matches the interest of the searcher. A number of factors are considered in calculating this score. Once a website owner knows the components of the scoring system, the website can be modified to achieve a higher score for specific searches. SEO Optimization companies work with website owners and businesses to modify their web pages with the objective to appear in the first entry on the first first result page.
As in most rules based systems, there are those who seek to bend the rules for their own benefit. The search engines modify the rules on a regular basis to keep website owners honest. For this reason, search engine optimization is never a finished task. If you website is an important part of your business presence (and it should be) the SEO optimization is important to you.
There are many companies that offer SEO to their clients. As in all business opportunities some are good businesses that explain exactly what they can and can not do. There are others that can get you the number one ranking - based on search terms that are seldom used. As with all services, make sure you understand what is being offered, what you will have to pay and what performance standards will be used to determine if the work has been accomplished.
Now, to most of us, SEO tends to be a bit like voodoo. Search engine providers create a system of scoring websites to determine which is most likely to have content which matches the interest of the searcher. A number of factors are considered in calculating this score. Once a website owner knows the components of the scoring system, the website can be modified to achieve a higher score for specific searches. SEO Optimization companies work with website owners and businesses to modify their web pages with the objective to appear in the first entry on the first first result page.
As in most rules based systems, there are those who seek to bend the rules for their own benefit. The search engines modify the rules on a regular basis to keep website owners honest. For this reason, search engine optimization is never a finished task. If you website is an important part of your business presence (and it should be) the SEO optimization is important to you.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Do I Need a Written Business Plan?
I often have this question asked of me by small and medium sized business owners. The answer is a resounding YES! The Bible says that God created all things by speaking them into existence. It then says that we are made in God's image. I believe that this means we have an aspect of his creative nature. Look around you - everything from skyscrapers to micro chips has been brought into existence first by means of a writ en plan. I believe that each new invention - whether product of idea - comes from someone speaking it into existence.
For your business, the business plan becomes the mechanism by which you turn your vision into something tangible. The Bible clearly states that where there is no vision, the people parish. Your business is a living thing which must have a vision to survive. The act of putting this vision down on paper, where others can read and understand your vision, and assist you in achieving its implementation, causes it to become real.
I believe that many CEO's and decision makers do not write out their business plan out of fear. As long as the idea is kept in one's head, one never need fear failing. Once the business is reduced to a written plan, anyone who can read the plan can judge the CEO as a success or failure. If you do not have a written business plan, take some time over the next couple of days and put your vision down on paper. You can always modify or change your plan - in fact, reviewing and updating the plan is a key part of succeeding with your business. Above all, have fun as you breath life into your business.
For your business, the business plan becomes the mechanism by which you turn your vision into something tangible. The Bible clearly states that where there is no vision, the people parish. Your business is a living thing which must have a vision to survive. The act of putting this vision down on paper, where others can read and understand your vision, and assist you in achieving its implementation, causes it to become real.
I believe that many CEO's and decision makers do not write out their business plan out of fear. As long as the idea is kept in one's head, one never need fear failing. Once the business is reduced to a written plan, anyone who can read the plan can judge the CEO as a success or failure. If you do not have a written business plan, take some time over the next couple of days and put your vision down on paper. You can always modify or change your plan - in fact, reviewing and updating the plan is a key part of succeeding with your business. Above all, have fun as you breath life into your business.
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