Amanda

A: Back when I practiced law full-time there was a joke floating around amongst my fellow over-worked attorneys: "It's a great profession," some would say "if it weren't for the clients!" Of course the joke was on us as clients and customers make our world go 'round.

Sure, I could give you some advice about how to keep customers under control, but I think it is more appropriate to pose the following question:

What do you stand for?

In business, as in life, you sometimes have to take a stand. Sometimes, you have to decide just what it is important to you and stake a claim upon that: "This is who I am and here is where I stand and this is what I stand for and from this I shall not waiver."

When you own a franchise, sometimes, it is so easy to bend and bend in order to make the sale or keep the peace or soothe the egos or whatever. Of course that is necessary, smart, prudent even. But not always. Sometimes you have to take a stand. A customer who is such a problem that he or she causes continuous strife, even after numerous discussions sounds like a customer you do not want to have. Fire him, I say.

Taking a stand in business can mean almost anything. It is a matter of deciding which values are most important to you and not compromising on those.

• Maybe it means that you need to fire that obnoxious, albeit successful, salesperson because he brings down the staff.


• Taking a stand may be as simple as turning off the Blackberry at night, on weekends, and on vacation because you family life is important too.


• In 2001, eBay banned the sale of Nazi memorabilia.

For Howard Schultz, taking a stand means providing most Starbucks' employees with health insurance, even part-time employees. In fact, Starbucks spends more on health insurance than it does on coffee beans. Now why is that? Because Schultz took a stand. In 1961, when Schultz was nine years old, his father fell on an icy sidewalk, broke his leg, and lost his job as a delivery man. The family's financial crisis that resulted had a lasting impact on the boy, so much so, that when he took over Starbucks, he vowed that his employees would never face the same unenviable fate as his dad.

"The story of Starbucks," Schultz has said, "is not just a record of growth and success. It's also about how a company can be built in a different way. It's about a company completely unlike the ones my father worked for."

Taking a stand isn't easy. It may piss some people off. It may cost your franchise some business. But guess what? The opposite may also be true. People may admire the fact that you do in fact stand for something bigger than just making a buck. You may attract a higher quality of people around you. It is a signal, to yourself and others, that you have standards and morals that are worth more than money.

Take a risk. Take a stand. Hold yourself and your franchise to a higher standard. You just may find unexpected and rewarding results ensue.

About Steve Strauss

Steven D. Strauss is one of the world's leading experts on entrepreneurship. A lawyer, author, and public speaker, his latest book is The Big Idea: How Business Innovators Get Great Ideas to Market. Steve's columns regularly appear on USA Today.com, Workz.com, Bizland.com, and Staples.com, among others. You can sign up today for his free newsletter, "Small Business Success Secrets!" at his business web site - www.MrAllBiz.com.