When you run your own business I believe it is imperative for success that you do everything according to your values and beliefs. Some of the biggest and most successful businesses in the world didn’t start with pages of business plans and projectory of how many buckets of money they could make, just a mission statement that said. This is us, this is what we do and this is why we do it and this is what it means for you. We always want to provide for you in this way.

Now this works really well if your values and beliefs are in line with your buisness, but what if they are not? What if you hold beliefs that don’t work your success?

What if you are holding on to a belief that is outdated and does not apply to you?

This is not a blog about that (for now) although I am happy to look at that another time, this is a blog about one of my beliefs that I was wondering if it was working for or against my success.

You see I firmly believe that if I always do my best by others then they will do their best by me. If they do not (and lets be honest we don’t live in the faraway tree or a fairy tale here, so we know what can happen here right?) but I believe that that is their issue not mine. If I always do my best by everyone then I know I can do no more. I know that whatever is the outcome I have dedicated myself to a positive outcome for everyone.

How ethical, you may say. How honourable. But what if you only come up against people that just take? I was beginning to question this value. How valuable was it to my business success?

If I was strolling around smiling at the flowers and singing to the birds (not literally I hasten to add, it doesn’t get much work done) What was I getting back?

Well for me a few (what shall we call them) baddies, think Evil Step mother material had come into my world and I did my best for them, afterall like silly snow white (Do not go into the forest! The man has an axe love, do not go into the forest! Honestly do they never learn?) I can only see good in people. So the moral of this story/blog?

Well my belief, this value that I have prided myself on, was shaking, “How could someone treat me like that? What did I do wrong? Am I a fool?” And I came to the conclusion that no, the fact is I have no control over what someone else does, I can only control what I do and how I chose to feel about it.

And I choose not to let negativity stick around in my life. I believe in Karma. And guess what?

I can not begin to tell you about how many free and wonderful things have headed my way today. So many referrals and work, presents, and thank yous and things that have just meant a million things more than that to me.

They reinforce that this person I am, that bends over backwards for every person that comes into her world is doing the right thing.  

So look at your values and beliefs. Do they fit in nicely along side your business? or is there some friction there? And if you have been led to question your beliefs, ask yourself why and have the confidence to say. Hey this is me and THIS is the way I run MY business and my customers love it.

It is always lovely to be in touch with business women and to understand what matters to you and how we can help. I have read some lovely, motivational and useful blogs here recently and thought it was about time I contributed too. I hope you enjoyed.

Running a business is a lot like getting the most out of life. Never say no, try everything and have the confidence to do it your way.

Keep in touch mandie@thebusinesswomansnetwork.co.uk