Business ethics can be profitable

Ethics and business seems like an uncommon pair to most people but having ethics in a business environment can be and usually is profitable.?Customers who see that a business has ethics engrained within their organization are more likely to stay as customers.?There is much competition in the global market if your organization is active within it but businesses can succeed locally as well.?Dependent upon the type of business you have there may be a lot of competition or little or none.?It is important to understand that if your business is not satisfying your customers they will turn to someone else for their needs.?Sometimes businesses spring up to provide something that is not being provided by the current environment.?In this respect competition in the business environment of today will occur if it is not their already.?Customers want their needs and sometimes their wants provided and if you cannot do that as a business they will stop being customers and go to someone that provides for their needs and wants.

????Today’s business environment and the existence of integrity is an important element both for the public perception and the operation of any business.?Integrity of business operations and those who run them have constantly been in the news.?News events seem to play on the lack of integrity of individuals in business and the decisions they make in running it. ?The importance of integrity in business cannot be underestimated.?Decisions made by management of companies affect the lives of their customers, themselves and their employees.?Businesses, their employees and management must have integrity throughout their operations

????I have made the statement in the next sentence and in other articles I have written but it is not more applicable than here.?People who manage or work in a business environment must put themselves in the consumer’s place.?They need to ask themselves are they happy with the quality of the product or service their company provides.?Are they doing the best that they can do for the product or service in relation to their job responsibilities??People not only must complete their assigned responsibilities but they must do so with integrity of purpose.?They must make sure that they are doing all that is required for their product or service.?This means that they do not take any shortcuts in creating the product as it is meant to be.?If they have a service position within a company they need to provide the best service they can, especially after a sale.?Nothing turns away consumers more than poor service after a sale.?A company can have a great product but if the service after the sale is poor customers will go other places where the service has a better reputation.?This means that individuals will go to competitors who sell the same product (s) they need or want.?.??

????It is a fact that when consumers buy products or service they want them to live up to the advertisements and service promised after the sale.?The key in getting and keeping customers is to have a quality product and/or service that customers can trust.?Trust is the key element.?Business leaders must exhibit integrity principles in their words and actions and this must be transmitted down to their employees.?If a business leader does not match their words with their actions it produces a perception that he/she is someone who does not keep their word.?This perception companies do not want in their workforce.?This is important in any business.?If management does not back their words with action, how can the employees trust them??When the management of a company cannot be trusted to keep their work it makes it more difficult to negotiate contractual agreements.?This is not the only example where the lack of trust can be a problem.?Employees sometimes have issues on which they want their management to take action and resolve.?As an example this may be where employees are not doing their job and force others to do it for them.?Management must have the resolve to take the action necessary to get employees to do their job.?When employees complete their responsibilities, especially with a quality effort and integrity of purpose it creates a good environment for a company to succeed.?It has been said that a man is as good as his word.?This statement however, does not go far enough.?Words must be matched with action.?

????Companies must have in place a code of ethics/integrity which exemplifies the principles of integrity.?These rules must be followed by all employees of the organization.?As stated previously in this article, consumers who buy products and become unhappy with them or the service they receive after the sale will not feel like buying more.?I have had experiences in the past where I have been dissatisfied with a product and sometimes the service after the sale.?As a result the company who manufactured the product will not see a repeat customer.?Sometimes the issue is the service or the integrity of getting the initial sale.?If a sales person is not honest in discussing options on various products it turns people off and their company will lose future business.?People have a right to receive a quality product and/or service and they expect it to perform as advertised.?Sometimes there can be problems with the manufacture of products and how a company handles the situation tells a lot to the consumer in how the business operates and the principles they have in place.

????Today companies must be advocates for their customers in every way.?If the decisions they make or the product they produce is not of high standards they must ask themselves if they would buy the product knowing what they know about it.?If the answer is no then they will not retain or get new customers.?Quality products/services must exist with reliable documentation before a sale can take place.?Keeping the customer after the sale with the service it provides must be a priority in the minds of management.?The point

I am trying to make is where customers are satisfied with the company and tells their friends who tells their friends is an atmosphere companies desire.?This kind of advertising is something money cannot buy and is the kind businesses want and need.?

????Another benefit of having integrity in place in companies is the fact that customers and the public will respect the company for the product or service they provide.?Respect is something that must be earned.?If a company does not operate within the principles of integrity, they will not earn the respect of their customers and the public.?This is an important element in operating a business.?Respect comes with integrity.?If you or your company do not exhibit the principles of integrity, you will not earn the respect of your customers and the public.?Companies who operate within the principles of integrity will create a positive perception of their business.?Another aspect of operating with integrity is a company must accept responsibility for mistakes that take place with their products/services and make the necessary correct decisions to resolve the errors which caused the problem.?

????People understand that mistakes happen.?Companies sometimes make quick decisions on what caused the problem without determining the actual cause.?The determination of the true cause and not what appears to be the cause is key in resolving it.?Consumers want companies to have a system in place to resolve issues and to make the proper decision based on all the applicable facts.?If the true cause of any problem is not identified it will recur again and another decision must be made to fix it a second time.?This costs money.?It has been said that it takes less time and cost less money to do a job correctly the first time.?Resolving problems that surface cost money for companies and it is important that proper action is taken to resolve a problem the first time than to determine why the previous action did not work.?Many times companies, I feel, find that they did not do a good analysis of the situation and had to apply resources again to resolve the same issue.?This causes the resources to be reallocated and increases the cost of doing business.?This type of repeat action affects the bottom line.?

????In summary the benefits of operating a business with integrity will result in respect for the company and their products/services by their customers and the general public.?A company who has happy customers will prosper while a company who does not will lose business and cause a reduction in their market share.?Customers who are happy tell their friends.?This can lead to the possibility of increasing their customer database while those who are unhappy will cause a decrease.?Operating with integrity is something a business needs in today’s environment.?The impact of operating without integrity is far reaching.?Decisions made by companies affect the company, their employees and the public.?The right decisions need to be made based on accurate and complete information.?Sometimes this may be hard based on the impact of some decisions companies must make but they must be made.?Everyone will not always be happy with decisions by management but if they are making the right decisions for the company, their employees and the public they will gain respect not only from their employees but the public as well.?Making difficult decisions are what makes a leader and we need leaders of integrity today more than ever.?I hope you the reader of this article understand the importance of integrity in business and the benefits that can result in having it.???