In business, your reputation is everything. If you want to keep your customers coming back, attract the best employees, and stay on the right side of both the media and the law, you need to do all you can to protect your reputation before the proverbial poop hits the fan.

Here are five ways to help you do just that.

1. Don’t do anything stupid!

As a business owner, you need to take ownership of what you do and say. If you rule your employee’s with an iron fist, show disrespect to your customers, and engage in unethical practices, you are going to harm your reputation.

Word will get out about you on social media and review sites, and you will then have to dig yourself out of the hole you have only dug for yourself.

2. Secure legal assistance.

To protect your business from legal harm, get in touch with a law firm such as Tully Rinckey. A good attorney will educate you on business and employment law and will help you to take preventative measures to protect your business.

Having them on speed dial will also help you should you face litigation or compensation claims, and that will go some way towards minimizing the risks to your reputation your business may incur should trouble arise.

Still, it’s in your best interest to stay on the right side of the law before the poop hits, as once the media gets hold of something, word will get out online. Which leads us into the following.

3. Google your business.

Regularly Google your name and business to track what is being said about you.

• Are your customers talking about you on review sites and on social media?
• Are your employees doing the same?
• Has there been a mention about you in local news columns?

Do your research and/or use a media monitoring service to discover public opinion, and if you do encounter something negative being said about you, take action online to apologize or counter what is being said, and rectify whatever you are guilty of as soon as possible.

You might also want to hire a PR firm to replace the negative word with something positive.

4. Speak to your employees.

As alluded above, your employees may hurt your reputation.

• They might do this on social media, be that through their personal networking sites, or on those associated with your business.
• They might also gossip and grumble about you or their coworkers to others, and they might attract negative attention by acting irresponsibly while wearing their branded work uniform.

What they do might come back and bite you firmly on the ass, so put training in place, have policies set up with rules on good behavior, and meet with your employees to affirm good practice both in and out of work.

5. Do something good.

Finally, do those things that will attract positive attention and boost your reputation.

• Take part in charity events.
• Showcase your green credentials on your website.
• Go the extra mile with your customers and employees, showing them care in the way you run your business.

You will then start to attract good word-of-mouth, and that will benefit and prosper you and your business.

Thanks for reading!