What Are Your Values?
What do those values mean to you? And how do they apply to your business?
When I wrote 5 key questions to answer to write your business plan, I promised that I was going to take a few weeks to go through each of those questions individually. So here we go, let’s start at the beginning.
The first question you need to answer when you’re writing your business plan is - what are my values?
Why is this so crucial? Why is this number one?
You have an incredible opportunity to transform a portion of your life that most people never have. Our whole lives we’ve always been told that we grow up and get a job and we work that job and we’re grateful to have it. Our parents and their parents did that and expected us to do the same. It didn’t really matter if you had work/life balance, or if you agreed with the mission and values, or if your manager was constantly microaggressive, because you had a job and you needed to keep that job. And you know what? It works. If you’re trying to get by and pay your bills and have health insurance and maybe put away a little for retirement, it works!
But if it worked for YOU, then you wouldn’t be in this position of thinking about starting your own business. So now that you are here, you have an opportunity to create anything that you want. Anything at all. So why would you NOT want to create something that has your values at the core?
I don’t typically use personal examples as a guide, but I’m so passionate about this that I am going to share my values. My top three values are integrity, compassion, and freedom. I have others, sure, but they can really all be boiled down to those three things. And on the surface those seem super obvious, but let’s dig down. At the beginning I asked not only what your values are, but what they mean to you and how they apply to your business. So let me answer those questions.
Integrity means that I am honest and keep my word. It also means that I show up as authentically as I can to everyone and in every situation. I don’t overshare, but I am open about what is going on with me mentally and physically and how that may impact what I’m bringing to the table. How I apply this in my business: I lead conversations with clients by clearly and honestly communicating what I can and cannot do; I meet deadlines or communicate clearly when and I cannot; and I share when I know that I or my work are being impacted by life situations. In my experience, this has led to having a great connection with my clients and a solid working relationship built on trust.
Compassion means that I care equally deeply about what is going on with my clients, what their needs are, why those are their needs, and if anything is going on with them which would require greater support from me. This also means that I am passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to the kinds of resources they need for their businesses. I apply this by offering scaled pricing and services to work within my clients’ budgets and provide them with the highest quality of service and support possible. It also means that I provide as many free resources as I can, because I believe that there should not be a monetary barrier to education and skill development access.
Finally, freedom. It actually took me a long time to figure out what this really meant to me. For myself, and for my business, this means that I can work how and when best suits me. I am vocal about my mental health and I find that I need to be able to adapt my work schedule based on my mental state. By designing a business that is primarily remote and wherein I can set my own schedule, I have created a situation where I can work when I am best able and best suited to work, which results in providing the best service to my clients.
My values may not be your values and maybe nothing that I shared applies to you, and that’s fine! The point is identifying what your values are, what is most important to you. It’s ok if you’re more monetarily driven. There’s no right or wrong here. You just need to be clear on what your values are, what they truly mean to you, and how you want to apply them to your business.
As always, I am here to support you. If you’d like help in creating a business plan that is value centered, please reach out to me.
If you’re unsure of how to take your goals from conception to reality, consider signing up for my 5-day email course, Your Life, Planned. I will show you in practical, bite-sized pieces how to use a planning method to reach your goals. It’s free, with no commitment! I hope to join you in your inbox to make your journey just a bit easier! The course is available now!
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