Business Ethics for the Self-Employed
June 7, 2009
Ethics for Entrepreneurs
Ethical business practices are tantamount, in my opinion, to the integrity and trustworthiness of a person or business. Those that conduct all or a large portion of their business via the internet have as much or greater onus to prove their trustworthiness to their clients due to the anonymity that is inherent to the internet. With scammers, phishers, and “here today, gone tomorrow” business fronts, clients and vendors are justified in developing measures to protect themselves.
The question of ethics goes beyond easily measured practices, and operating within the law does not automatically equate to moral correctness.
Wikipedia.org defines business ethics as:
a form of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole. Applied ethics is a field of ethics that deals with ethical questions in many fields such as medical, technical, legal and business ethics.
Everyone knows, more or less, right from wrong and can apply those principles to business. It’s easier to define ethical practices than to follow them, and obviously, there is no point in the former without the latter! In a brick and mortar business, most employees are working with or under a supervisor, who provide the context and (in a perfect world) example for ethical conduct. They are responsible for the activities for those they supervise.
Who then, supervises entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals that largely work on their own or from remote offices? The answer: the individual is now responsible for his or her own conduct. As a business owner, this only makes sense, and falls into line with the rest of the responsibilities to which every business-owner must attend.
So how does a potential client discern the “good” from the “bad”? Thorough research on the business is a given. The research should encompass:
- Review the website, read testimonials, and a review references. If the business has neither testimonials nor references to provide, ask yourself why.
- Is there a support email or telephone number available in case of problems?
- Check the BBB. All businesses may not have registered their names, but those that have complaints against them will be listed.
- Ask questions and expect timely and detailed answers
The above list is written from the perspective of a client, but can be used as a tool for the business owner as well. A business can further show their dedication to ethical conduct through membership to industry associations that expect adherence to a code of ethics by their membership.
Virtual Assistants, for example, who are members of IVAA.org are expected to follow the Code of Ethics. The association even goes one step further and offers its members the opportunity to become EthicsChecked Certified. Only members that have passed the rigorous exam are permitted to display the logo on their print materials and website, and are listed with the deisgnation in IVAA’s directory.
Having achieved the certification, I now proudly display the logo on my website, Edge VA, and on contract materials for clients. An ethics certification does not guarantee adherence and 100% ethical conduct, but it does exemplify the effort made by the individual or business to achieve the designation. I personally hold myself to the highest standards of honest and steadfast professional practices; the IVAA EthicsCheck Certification is a testament to my dedication to ethical business.
Anyone can start a business and become “CEO”, but not all will pursue certifications to prove themselves or businesses to be responsible and trustworthy. Even fewer will achieve the associated certification. And while certification is not required to prove one’s honesty, it can be used as one indicator of such to prospective clients.
Small businesses and the self-employed are responsible to their clients, just as any other business, and may have to go to further lengths to prove their trustworthiness than traditional business simply because of the very nature of their business, specifically those in e-commerce. Make sure you, as a business owner, spend time to ensure that you are following ethical business practices – your clients expect it.
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