Starting a business is quite the adventure– there are tons of things to think about! One of the most important things you can do for your business is to establish your core values. What do I mean by that?
Core values are the fundamental beliefs that you and/or your organization holds. Think of these core values as your North Star. They not only serve as guiding principles for your business, but they can help folks to understand the difference between right and wrong.
In fact, I have core values set for both my personal business and my pet grooming business. Some of my core values include: Freedom, Kindness, Customer Service, Dream Big, and Empowerment. With every decision I make for my businesses, I am sure to keep these core values in mind.
Why are core values so important? Core values are helpful for a variety of reasons; in fact, they can help you to outline both your mission and vision statements. A mission statement describes what your company wants to do now, while a vision statement outlines what your company wants to be in the future. Without core values in place to guide your business, you may find your mission and vision to be a bit murky.
Here are five additional reasons to create core values for your business:
- They help your company to stand out. By creating core values, you have the opportunity to showcase what differentiates your business from the rest. It’s a great way to further connect with your customers and create a strong bond with your employees as well.
- They convey what’s truly important. Core values are not just hopes and dreams for what you’d like your company to be. Core values ARE your company. They convey what’s important to not only you, but to your employees as well. Core values are the pillars that keep your company up and running– without them, your business is more prone to falling apart.
- They influence overall behavior. Not only do core values serve to push you and your company further, they influence how your staff acts and communicates with both you and your customers. When you hire new folks, you need to be sure that they not only know your company’s core values but that they truly understand and convey them as well. My Puff & Fluff team lives and breathes the company’s core values!
Now you can see just how important core values are to an organization. Without them, you and your employees may be lost in the woods! Core values will inspire you and your employees to take positive and powerful action to succeed. In fact, core values help to shape the entire culture of your organization. You have the power to create the business that you’ve always wanted and you can maintain the integrity of that business through core values. Create as many as you want– the options are endless!
