Have you thought about your business values?

For the last couple of months the topic of values has been in my mind a lot. Steph Grainger (find Steph here on Instagram) spoke about values at an event recently and asked us in the room to think about our values. The three elements that represent us, our brand and our business.

I think understanding your core values is integral to how and why you run your own business.

My three core values span all areas of my life, with my family, friends and of course my business and I thought I’d share them with you.

❤️ Honesty: I learned many years ago (like, in my 20s), that the worst thing you can do is tell lies. I don’t have a great memory, so wouldn’t be able to keep up with untruths, or versions of various stories, so pledged (silently, to myself), to always tell the truth. And I do this in my business. I’m not here to fleece anyone, or provide a substandard service. If I can’t help you with something in your business, il tell you. If I don’t agree with something, I’ll speak up.

❤️ Value: a very good friend of mine (also an ex boss), told me once that his home is always open to people who ‘add value’. He didn’t mean those who bring a nice bottle of red, or a huge bunch of flowers, but value in energy. Of course, I add value in my expertise and the service I offer but also in how I make people feel. I always aim to leave you better than I found you (both in life and in biz). I want to ensure that you are happy with the value of the service I provide and I ALWAYS ask for feedback.

❤️ Kindness: it really doesn’t take a lot to make someone’s day. I truly believe in the power of kind words. Telling someone how wonderful you think they are, looking for the good in people, rather than jumping to the bad. Or sharing a smile with a stranger. And having a kind approach to business. I believe there is no such thing as a silly question (you don’t know what you don’t know), so I like to foster a relationship with all of my clients so that they feel like they can ask anything and I’ll answer kindly. And I know I do this because kindness is almost always mentioned in my client feedback forms.

Of course, I’m human (from this list you might think I think I’m perfect, far from it!!) but I do feel like these three values underpin everything I do with Barbara Gill Marketing, whether it’s a bespoke project, a workshop or even a discovery call.

I also believe that understanding your values aligns with your business why, your objectives and goals and the type of people you want to work with or sell to. Because we aren’t all for everyone. And that’s ok.

I’d love to hear what you think your values are and how they inform your business - drop me an email and let me know.

Bx