As a small business owner, you know the importance of having a clear and defined set of values. Your core values guide everything you do, from the products and services you offer to the way you treat your employees. 

In this post, we'll explore why core values are so important, and how you can go about defining your own.

• Think about what's important to you. What do you believe in? What do you stand for? These are the things that should be reflected in your core values
• Keep it simple. You don't need to have a long list of values; just a few key principles that you can stand behind.
• Make sure your values are relevant to your business. They should guide the way you operate and help you make decisions that are in line with your goals.
• Be prepared to live by your values. Your core values should be more than just words on a piece of paper; they should be something you actively practice in your business.

1. Put your people first
   This may seem like an obvious one, but it can be easy to forget when you’re trying to run a business. Putting your employees first will not only make them feel valued, but it will also make them more productive.
2. Be transparent
   If you want your employees to trust you, you need to be open and honest with them. This means being transparent about your business decisions and sharing information about the company’s finances.
   
3. Promote from within
   One way to show your employees that you value them is to promote from within. This sends the message that you are willing to invest in your employees and that you believe in their ability to grow within the company.
4. Invest in your employees
   Investing in your employees shows that you value their development and are willing to invest in their future. This can be done through training and development programs, as well as tuition reimbursement.
5. Communicate
   Effective communication is essential in any business, but it’s especially important in a values-based company. You need to be clear about your company values.
   
   

• But how do you ensure that your values are more than just words on a page? 
• How do you make them part of your company DNA?

1. Practice what you preach.
   Your employees are watching you. If you want them to live and breathe your company values, you need to do the same. Walk the talk by modelling the behaviour you want to see in your team.
   
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
   You can’t embed your company values if your team doesn’t know what they are. Make sure everyone understands your values and how they fit into your company culture. Communicate your values often, in both formal and informal settings.
3. Put them into practice.
   Your values should guide your day-to-day decision-making. When you’re faced with a difficult decision, ask yourself: which option aligns best with our values? This will help to ensure that your values are more than just words on a page.
4. Reward and recognize

1. What are company values? 
   Company values are the beliefs, philosophies, and principles that guide the actions and decisions of a company and its employees. They shape the culture and define the character of the organization.
2. Why are company values important?
   Company values are important because they provide a framework for how employees should behave and make decisions. They help create a cohesive and aligned organization and can be a powerful tool for attracting and retaining top talent.
3. What are some examples of company values?
   Some examples of company values are integrity, accountability, teamwork, respect, and excellence.
4. How can company values impact employees?
   Company values can impact employees in a number of ways. They can help foster a positive work environment, improve communication and collaboration, and increase employee engagement and satisfaction.
   
5. What role do company values play in the success of a business?
   Company values play a vital role in the success of a business. They can help guide strategic decision-making, inspire employee loyalty and motivation, and build customer confidence and trust. 

Video is a great way to connect with customers and grow your small business. It's an effective tool for marketing, sales, customer service, training, and more. Now that you have a strategy for creating meaningful video content, it's time to turn that strategy into something actionable. This guide will show you how to use video marketing to grow your small business by creating videos that attract customers and increase engagement with your brand. There are a few key things to keep in mind when creating videos for your small business. First, be sure to create content that is relevant and interesting to your target audience. Secondly, keep your videos short and sweet- no one wants to watch a long, boring video. Finally, make sure your videos are high quality and professional-looking; this will help you attract more customers and grow your small business.

Now that you know how to use video marketing to grow your small business, it's time to get started! Begin by brainstorming some ideas for videos that would be relevant and interesting to your target audience. Once you have a few ideas, start planning out the logistics of each video -  what equipment will you need, where will you film, who will star in the video, etc. Once you have everything planned out, it's time to start filming! Be sure to pay close attention to detail while filming so that your final product is high quality and professional-looking. After you've finished filming, edit your videos and add any final touches before uploading them online.

Video marketing can be a great way to connect with customers and grow your small business- but only if it's done correctly. Be sure to create engaging and relevant content, keep your videos short and sweet, pay attention to detail while filming/editing, and soon you'll see the positive effects that video marketing can have on your small business!

Different types of videos can be used for different purposes when marketing a small business. For example, a short and sweet video clip could be used as an attention-grabbing social media post, while a longer, more informative video could be used on your website's landing page to give potential customers an overview of what your business does. No matter what type of video you create, be sure to keep your target audience in mind so that the content is relevant and interesting to them.

It's also important to keep your videos high quality and professional-looking; this will help you attract more customers and grow your small business. Be sure to pay attention to detail while filming/editing, and use high-quality equipment to ensure that your final product looks its best.

With a little planning and effort, you can easily create videos that will engage potential customers and help grow your small business!

We aim to deliver much needed capital for SME’s and Property Developers.

We aim to deliver much needed capital for SME’s and Property Developers.

I know, location is traditionally said to be the three most important things, so maybe this should be No. 1 on this list. Stay close to town, close to services and close to the right level of wealth/money. For instance, don't try to locate a low-income housing project in Westminster, and don't build £2 million properties in Inverness (unless maybe there's a ski resort or something there I don't know about). The point is, your properties blend in with their surroundings. This is not a place to try to be the one who bucks the trend. 

This concept is equally easy to quantify and easy to avoid or not pay attention to — I see it all the time. Here’s the scoop: Find the information, and pay attention to it. Are there more projects coming to the area than there is demand for? If it’s even close, move on. Believe me, even a top-notch yoga studio and gourmet coffee shop aren’t going to earn an extra £200 per month in rent or fill up or sell your units if there’s no demand for them. That’s where many find themselves right now. Development is starting to run rampant, and people are working to justify their deals because they think their projects are better than the four other similar ones going up. But whether they’re better or not is not the right question. The right question is: “Are there enough buyers/renters/tenants to fill up all current deals as well as any others in the planning phase?” 

We aim to deliver much needed capital for SME’s and Property Developers.

High-Performance Teams know where they are going and have a keen sense of direction. The Vision syncs with the overall company vision yet is distinct to the team. The Vision is not something created and communicated by the team leader, alone; rather it reflects a core team effort, allowing all to feel ownership. It is a motivating factor that propels the team forward. It allows team members to set clear goals, and targets and measures success. The Vision encompasses not only the business but also other aspects, such as team, people, key financial metrics, industry, and stakeholders. Besides Vision, we may also want to define the ‘purpose’ or ‘mission’ of the team, which essentially defines its ‘raison d’être’ or reason why the team exists. 

High-Performance Teams know that they need more than a maniacal Results focus. They need to master the drivers and processes that will create the results. They have clearly established processes for key aspects of the business and interactions. They believe both in doing things right and in doing the right things. They are constantly learning and continuously improving. They understand that team governance is an important part of the team process. Being Effective particularly applies to team meetings in which over half of the time is typically spent on ‘reporting’ and ‘updating’ as opposed to making decisions on the truly important issues. 

We aim to deliver much needed capital for SME’s and Property Developers.

High-Performance Teams know that sustained motivation comes from loving what you do. Team members enjoy being together and interacting in all ways. They also celebrate successes frequently. If a team is not highly motivated and having Fun, it’s probably not a High-Performance Team. That’s because the drive required to perform Effectively can readily be accessed through the power of emotion, which is generated from the energy of interacting with the team. As we have seen with sports teams, there is little motivation that is equivalent to wanting to show up for your team. That’s also why people refer to the power of team spirit, which has the power to overcome obstacles. 

High-Performance Teams are aligned on what to do and how to do it. They quickly resolve conflicts and move forward. They believe in the power of support, commitment, communication, collaboration, and agreement, both within the team and with stakeholders. As a Vice President in PepsiCo, one of the key principles I learned was the importance of alignment. For every initiative, we endeavoured to get all those involved aligned. Alignment is half the success of an initiative. Once people are aligned, execution is smoother. Conversely, when you don’t have alignment, you will have a manifold increase in obstacles. 

High-Performance Teams realize that trust is an essential ingredient. They communicate openly and with transparency. They believe in a feedback culture, actively giving and seeking feedback. To do this Effectively, building relationships and earning trust is a priority. Team members have each other’s backs. When I survey my clients, they say, “Trust is the hardest element to build, but it also makes the most powerful impact.” 

“Leaders are only as good as the teams they build” 

Read more: An Experiential Approach To Organizational Learning 

The post Applying the Eight Core Elements of High Performance Teams appeared first on ChiefExecutive.net. 

GIC Capital – Matching Capital With Opportunity  London +44 (0) 203 290 9019 

We aim to deliver much needed capital for SME’s and Property Developers.

We aim to deliver much needed capital to start-ups and SMEs