Small Business Month Series: Day 1 — Core Values for Small Business
Welcome to the series
ACBN Canada and Empowered 4x have teamed up for a 24-day sprint to help you start strong or tune up what you’ve already built. Day 1 set the foundation with facilitator Chris-Beth Cowie and ACBN co-founder Ryan Knight. Every session will be compiled into an Empowered 4x learning vault so you can revisit the material later.
What are core values for small business?
Core values for small business are the non-negotiable principles that guide how you operate—especially under pressure. They shape your brand, your team culture, and the customer experience. More importantly, they turn tough choices into consistent actions.
Why this matters for Black entrepreneurs
Because access to networks and capital can take longer, clarity saves time and protects energy. Clear values help you choose aligned partners, set fair policies, and build trust in rooms that weren’t designed with you in mind. As a result, your business moves with confidence instead of reacting to the loudest voice or the fastest dollar.
Values beat vibes
“Vibes” fade when stakes are high. Written values act like fences: you can’t write rules for every scenario, but values keep decisions inside healthy boundaries. Without them, small compromises can snowball into costly issues.
Core values in real life
• Partnership fit: A founder ended a restaurant partnership after a co-owner ignored allergen-safety protocols—integrity and safety weren’t shared values.
• Customer care: Empowered 4x pairs a strict no-refund policy with grace. Even when a deadline is missed, the team explains policies, explores options, and aims for a better outcome. In practice, compassion and excellence sit beside accountability.
Where core values show up daily
• Hiring and leadership: Who you bring in and how you coach.
• Pricing and policies: Payment plans, guarantees, refunds.
• Partnerships: Which sponsors or collaborators you accept.
• Operations: From safety checklists to how you handle mistakes.
• Marketing: The promises you make—and keep.
A 15-minute exercise to define your top 3–5
Reflection moments
When were you most proud at work? Which value was present? Conversely, when were you most frustrated? Which value was violated?Role models
Who do you admire and why? What do you refuse to emulate?Hard lines
Under financial pressure, what line would you never cross?Future story
How do you want people to describe your business in 10 years?Daily behaviours
What actions should happen even when no one is watching?
Write down themes you repeat. Then cluster them into 3–5 clear words (for example: Integrity, Safety, Service, Equity, Excellence).
Make values operational (not ornamental)
• Translate each value into 2–3 behaviours
“Safety” → “We label allergens and confirm orders twice.”
“Equity” → “We publish payment-plan options on every offer.”
• Add a decision rule
“If a decision conflicts with any value, we pause and escalate.”
• Publish and teach
Include values in proposals, onboarding, and team meetings.
• Review weekly
Ask, “Where did we live our values? Where did we drift, and why?”
Common pitfalls (and quick fixes)
• Too many values
Fix: Cap it at five. If everything is a priority, nothing is.
• Vague words
Fix: Pair each value with behaviours a stranger could observe.
• Values vs. incentives mismatch
Fix: Align bonuses, promotions, and vendor choices to the values.
ACBN x Empowered 4x: how we support you
Empowered 4x is values-driven (community first, equity, excellence) and offers professional virtual office services, training, and coaching to help you build structure. ACBN focuses on breaking barriers—especially access to capital—through microlending, loan readiness, and ecosystem connections. Together, we help you turn values into momentum.
Homework
Identify your 3–5 core values and write behaviours under each. Then ask: do I live these values daily? If not, what will change this week?
Next up: Day 2 — Mission
Tomorrow we’ll craft a one-sentence mission that turns values into direction—and into decisions you can act on immediately.
Be sure to join us for our next session: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/empowered-4x-8081928236
Dont forget to become an ACBN Member by visiting: https://acbncanada.com/membership/
