love working with makes life a lot easier. How we connect to people on a human level has a lot to do with shared values. It isn’t about finding people who agree with you on everything but if your values are similar, you will be able to find common ground and communicate better. Knowing what your values are and effectively communicating them in your marketing opens the doors to those you will love but it will equally repel those that could potentially turn your dream business into a nightmare.

Increase your influence

Knowing your values can help to increase your impact. Small business owners are in a powerful position of influence. We contribute three-fifths of employment and around half of the turnover in the UK. We haven’t got to wait for big businesses to lead the way, when our actions and voices can be seen and heard together we can make a difference.  It is very easy to get pulled into worrying and focus only on profits. Although this is undoubtedly important in business, alone it isn’t enough. At least it isn’t if you are a business owner who isn’t an arsehole. If you are itching to be more than the richest person in the graveyard and leave a legacy future generations will be proud of, then having clarity on your business values is an essential step.

How to decide your values?

I have listed below 165 values you might decide to use in your business but in reality, you can’t focus on them all at once. Even if you like the sound of a lot of them, they will be ineffective if too broad and woolly.

Remember you are selecting here the values that will drive your business so consider what is important to you from this perspective. Keep in mind your industry and your audience when selecting. Also note this isn’t the only list and it isn’t extensive. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, you probably already know the answer.

My own process discerning my business values

I was first asked to do this exercise from a personal perspective by my friend and client Nicola Buckley. She asked us to select 3 values that resonate and stand out the most out of a massive list.

Mine were Equality,  integrity, and compassion.

Soon after, I decided to look at it from a business perspective, connecting my values with my mission. The previous work I’d done defining what I stood for and what my business stood against really helped me to be discerning in this task. It can feel overwhelming to see so many values which is why the clearer you are before you begin the quicker and more effective this process will be.

Honesty, integrity, and transparency were the three I landed on for Lisa Barry Online.

Although equality and compassion are both values I still hold close, when it comes to identifying three that help position my business within my industry, these were more defining and connected to my specific mission.

If you look at my website or any of my social media channels, you won’t have to look far to find these words. By using them in my content I am able to communicate what makes me different as a content marketing coach and attract clients who align with these values.

They have also acted as a compass in my business, giving me the strength to make some tough decisions about courses, launches, and strategy. Everything I do is grounded in honesty, integrity, and transparency.

Now it’s your turn… When considering this list, it might be more helpful to eliminate those values you definitely don’t connect with first. Keep narrowing down the words until you have three remaining that can represent your business, what you stand for and what you want your audience to know about your business.