Ethics in Business

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For a business to be successful it is essential for that business to have ethics that they follow and abide by. It is by having a mission statement or a code of conduct that will keep any business focused on what really matters and be able to continue to grow and be a success.

The entrepreneurs that start a business with the intent to just make money often fail and they fail hard and fast. In business, the intent and purpose behind the company lays the foundation, and integrity is the structure that upholds the business to be able to withstand the pressures and stresses that will inevitably come.

Sheri L. Dew shared the following about this very concept at a BYU-Idaho devotional:

“Anything that lacks integrity is unstable, as any engineer will tell you. A bridge or skyscraper that has structural integrity does what it was built to do. It isn’t necessarily perfect. It could have flaws. But, under stress and repeated use, it does what it was built to do. If, on the other hand, a structure does not have structural integrity, it will at some point fail, as was the case with the world’s first jet airliner, the British-made de Havilland Comet.

When the Comet was introduced in 1949, the future seemed bright for jet travel–until three Comets disintegrated in flight, killing all aboard. The planes were grounded as puzzled engineers worked feverishly to understand why these planes had operated flawlessly at first, only to later break apart in mid-air. The engineers set up a fuselage in a large pool and pumped water in and out, simulating the effects of repeated cabin pressurization. At first, the experiment revealed nothing. But then it yielded a startling discovery. The repeated stress caused small cracks to form around the rectangular windows, cracks that soon widened into gaping holes. The planes could not withstand repeated pressure. They lacked structural integrity.”

A business cannot be sustained without integrity. It is crucial to the life of the business.

So when starting a business or creating a code of conduct map out the following:

  • Things you would never do
  • Things you will always do
  • And ask what problem are you solving?

By having these areas defined you have crafted guardrails for your business. Lines that will never be crossed. You will be establishing yourself as a prominent trustworthy business where success is able to flourish.

There are many recommendations for startups to be successful. In this video Frank Levinson outlines the top 10 must haves for a startup:

What stood out to me the most in this video was #1

Choose a great partner.

This couldn’t be more true. For example, my ex-husband and I decided (when we were still married) to start a business together. I had the idea, he shot it down, then months later he claimed he had the perfect business idea. It was exactly what I had purposed months prior. But excited we jumped into the world of entrepreneurship together. I did research, I built the site, created logos, I managed the social media accounts. He named the business and criticized how much money would have to be put into the business. Within the first 2 months, we already made our first sale. In fact, we were getting a steady stream of viewers to our site and engagement on our social platforms.

I was proud of the work I was doing, as I was overseeing it all. I wanted to donate 10% of the profits to charity and he scoffed at the idea and told me how stupid it was to give away money. Then when it came around to the third month where we’d have to renew our subscription to keep the site running (a mere $30) my ex, said it wasn’t worth it. He shut down the site and refunded the order that had just come through.

The work wasn’t worth it to him. He wasn’t driven. But now he claims on resumes that he is the founder and CEO of a successful e-commerce platform.

The business could have been successful. But I didn’t have a great partner. He lacked integrity and grit. For a business to be successful it’s important to find a business partner that has the same goals, integrity, and someone who is willing to do the work and not just take credit for the good and abandon ship when things aren’t happening as fast as one would hope.

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Hey I'm Bre!

I’m a mom, a business owner, and a passionate blogger. Bringing you all things mom and baby life to business. From starting a blog, marketing, design and so on! 

Want to make a difference?

I sell farmhouse home decor to support victims of domestic violence.
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