As another busy week on UK Business Forums draws to an end, I’m back with my thoughts on a couple of the key discussions.
One which caught my eye was posted by UKBFer silvermusic who asked ‘Is honesty dead?’. Relating how a supplier sounded surprised when he called in to inform them they’d delivered two items of stock but only charged him for one, he bemoaned that fact that good old fashioned honesty seems to be on its way out.
I joined in and revealed how in a previous job I told the HR department of their mistake after they gave me double pay. I was tempted to keep the extra cash but it was the thought of the hassle involved paying it back should the powers that be have realised their error which prompted my honesty.
So how does it play out in business?
I’m sure all business owners tell a few white lies every now and then but I’d like to think that the likes of Dell Boy Trotter are the exception to the rule amongst UK entrepreneurs. Being dishonest does have a habit to come back and bite you and given that business is all about building relationships, you’d be unwise to do anything dodgy.
It’s not just about avoiding dubious deals though. You’ve also got to be honest with yourself and those you work with.
Why are you in business? Is it to make a shedload of cash? Is it for lifestyle reasons? Is it to make a difference to your local community? It’s important that you know why.
Equally, are you honest with your employees? If things aren’t going quite right, do you tell them or do you keep them in the dark until they find out anyway? Making sure your workforce is informed when times are good and bad is crucial. Of course, when everything in the garden is rosey, they’re going to love you but just as important is making sure they’re aware when things aren’t quite right. If the worst comes to the worst and you have to let them know, they’ll respect you all the more for it if you’ve kept them in touch and they can understand why you’ve had to make difficult decisions.
Other threads from the past week I’d recommend checking out include Do you ever switch off?, a conversation which proves that running a small business can be a 24/7 operation, with a little bit of UKBF posting thrown in of course!
Also of interest is How good are you financial forecasts?, a thread which reflects a key subject over on BusinessZone.co.uk this week – business planning. We published part one of a four part video series featuring Dragons’ Den panellist James Caan which focuses on that very subject. The comments from James, the other experts in the video and many of the people in the thread above reflect the fact that a business plan is far from being a static document and needs to be continually updated and developed as your business progresses.
Finally this week, it’s always good to see UKBF members being recognised for their success so check out this thread for details of how you can support Craig Smith, founder of The Printed Bag Shop, in the final of the If We Can, You Can Challenge, an initiative which celebrates entrepreneurial talent in the North East. Good luck Craig from all at UKBF Towers!
See you next week!
One which caught my eye was posted by UKBFer silvermusic who asked ‘Is honesty dead?’. Relating how a supplier sounded surprised when he called in to inform them they’d delivered two items of stock but only charged him for one, he bemoaned that fact that good old fashioned honesty seems to be on its way out.
I joined in and revealed how in a previous job I told the HR department of their mistake after they gave me double pay. I was tempted to keep the extra cash but it was the thought of the hassle involved paying it back should the powers that be have realised their error which prompted my honesty.
So how does it play out in business?
I’m sure all business owners tell a few white lies every now and then but I’d like to think that the likes of Dell Boy Trotter are the exception to the rule amongst UK entrepreneurs. Being dishonest does have a habit to come back and bite you and given that business is all about building relationships, you’d be unwise to do anything dodgy.
It’s not just about avoiding dubious deals though. You’ve also got to be honest with yourself and those you work with.
Why are you in business? Is it to make a shedload of cash? Is it for lifestyle reasons? Is it to make a difference to your local community? It’s important that you know why.
Equally, are you honest with your employees? If things aren’t going quite right, do you tell them or do you keep them in the dark until they find out anyway? Making sure your workforce is informed when times are good and bad is crucial. Of course, when everything in the garden is rosey, they’re going to love you but just as important is making sure they’re aware when things aren’t quite right. If the worst comes to the worst and you have to let them know, they’ll respect you all the more for it if you’ve kept them in touch and they can understand why you’ve had to make difficult decisions.
Other threads from the past week I’d recommend checking out include Do you ever switch off?, a conversation which proves that running a small business can be a 24/7 operation, with a little bit of UKBF posting thrown in of course!
Also of interest is How good are you financial forecasts?, a thread which reflects a key subject over on BusinessZone.co.uk this week – business planning. We published part one of a four part video series featuring Dragons’ Den panellist James Caan which focuses on that very subject. The comments from James, the other experts in the video and many of the people in the thread above reflect the fact that a business plan is far from being a static document and needs to be continually updated and developed as your business progresses.
Finally this week, it’s always good to see UKBF members being recognised for their success so check out this thread for details of how you can support Craig Smith, founder of The Printed Bag Shop, in the final of the If We Can, You Can Challenge, an initiative which celebrates entrepreneurial talent in the North East. Good luck Craig from all at UKBF Towers!
See you next week!
