Doing business the r.i.g.h.t. way

There is only one way to do business, the right way. But, what exactly does that mean for your particular business situation?

Don Hicks, founder of the Hispanic American Business Development Group in Fort Worth, Texas http://bit.ly/10bL07 got me thinking about this topic recently when he posed the question “Would you do business with yourself?” to the group at a networking breakfast. It’s one of those great defining questions that every business owner should take time to reflect upon.

If you were to identify what doing business the right way denotes for your business, I’m sure you’d come up with a rather lengthy list of things to consider. So, if you haven’t completed this exercise, take the next step and make your list, then put those great ideas into action so they become an integral part of our company’s culture, business practices and core values.

Doing Business the R.I.G.H.T. Way covers the entire waterfront from business practices to core values, and is truly all about how to “walk the talk” when you think about building solid business relationships with customers, employees, suppliers and within the communities you do business. So, I’ve created an acronym to make it easier to put these guiding principles into action, because we all know there are not enough acronyms in the world today.

R. = Rigorous planning, execution and attention to detail.
I. = Innovation, inspiration and intellectual curiosity.
G. = Generosity, charity and a sincere commitment to help others achieve success.
H. = Healthy sense of urgency and drive for continuous improvement and growth.
T. = Taking care of your customers through timely communication, follow-up and support.

You may come up with a better acronym (and list) than mine to define what doing business the right way means for your business. That’s okay. What’s important is that your actions consistently reflect those business practices and core values both internally and externally.

Keep Don’s question “Would you do business with yourself?” in mind, as you look for ways to improve your business in the R.I.G.H.T. areas and deliver more value to your customers, then put those great ideas into action so you can answer with a resounding “YES”.