It's What You Stand For

“It’s not what you make. It’s what you stand
for.”

Jim Collins

With that in mind, many businesses will create a mission statement and establish a set of core values.

The first step is to create a mission statement and establish a set of core values. The second step, which many businesses fail to do, is to incorporate the mission statement and core values into everything the business does.

Take, for example, a CPA firm. Let’s say that they establish Integrity as one of their core values. If you call that firm and ask for a price for various service, more likely than not, you will get a response similar to this: “Our fees are based on the time required by the individuals assigned to the engagement, plus direct expenses. Individual hourly rates vary according to the degree of responsibility involved and the skill required.”

How does that response answer your question? It doesn’t. And, where’s the integrity in that?

In order to stand for something, a business needs to have a mission statement and a set of core values. And, these must be incorporated into everything the business does, including pricing policies, sales process, product/service offerings, customer selection criteria, etc.

Does your CPA stand for something? Do they have a mission statement and a set of core values? Have they incorporated these into everything they do, including pricing? Or is there a disconnect between what they say and do?

On a final note, is you need to create a mission statement, establish a set of core values, and incorporate these into everything your business does, talk to a Principa CPA. He/she has the tools and special worksheets to get you started and complete the process.