Business Policies

The way I handle my business has always been a concern of mine. Especially in such a small State, my business reputation spreads fast. I know it's very difficult and time consuming to build a good reputation, only to have it washed out within days with a bad reputation. Everyone knows someone else here in Hawaii.

There have been certain things I do now as a rule of business that I adopted from my last job:

• I never bad-mouth another competitor. There have been potential clients who have asked me, "what do you think of XXXX?". I just don't give my opinions one way or another about them. I know for a fact there are my competitors who bad-mouth all their competitors...while they may shake my hand when I see them like they're all cool, I know as soon as I turn my back they are happy to take business away from me in an instant. It works for them but that's not what I feel comfortable in doing.
• Always be honest. If I can't do something for a client, I'll let my clients know at the risk of losing the contract. That might not be very aggressive. I know some colleages who grab jobs first, then figure out how to do it afterwards. I can see how that might work, afterall, isn't that how we learn to solve problems? But I think the key is whether my client understands they are taking a risk with me, versus being completely blind to the fact they've chosen the wrong person for the job.
• Pass a referral. I have no problem at all giving away business to a competitor if I think they will do a better job. The hope is that one day, this same business will return the favor.
  

Lately I've been trying to see how I can pick up this new policy:

• Eco-friendly services. I'm a bit of a closet tree-hugger. No, I'm not the type who would chain myself to a tree anytime soon. Heck, I haven't even developed the habit of recycling my cans yet. But I'd like to do my part....I use less paper at home. I turn off as much lights as I can in my home office. I pick up trash on the sidewalk when I see it. etc. Little things that I hope will be a new beginning. I'm going to look for opportunities to suggest eco-friendly printing and materials when I complete my projects for clients.

I think if I stick to these little ways of doing business, it will help me get a good reputation heading into the future.