“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”
– attributed to Aristotle
A few years ago, when dealing with a large national media corporation, I pointed out that the company’s conduct was the exact opposite of its mission statement. The corporate lawyer laughed and said, “That [mission statement] is just for the public, it’s not for us.”
A code of conduct may not be needed by a small business because the owner is usually close to the “front lines”. So there’s little room for bad behaviour. But sadly, a big business can have plenty of such room.
Small business owners may want to create their own code of conduct, not just to impress their customers but also to remind themselves of why they are in business. Maybe something like:
As a small business owner, my purpose is to serve the customer without whom my business has no reason to exist. My business may be small in size but my pursuit of excellence shall be boundless. I promise:
• To run my business with integrity and the highest ethical standards.
• To treat customers fairly, honestly and with respect.
• To be responsible for my actions and accountable to my customers.
• To acknowledge and then, to the best of my abilities, repair any mistakes that I might make.
• To protect the interests of each customer as if they were my own.
• To improve myself and my business for the benefit of my customers.
• To be a good citizen of my community.
