Putting The Core Values on Paper

Your business is an organism of sorts—full of life, opportunity, and most of all, your passion. Discovering the Core Values and putting them down on paper (physical or digital) is crucial for maintaining brand continuity and consistency.

Questions to Reflect On:

Your Company

Whether you're a one-person band or have a ten-person team, these answers should be pretty straightforward. It's all about YOUR business.
- What do we stand for?
- What do we truly value the most?
- How are we helping our consumers with their needs?

Negative Experiences

Think about all the times something negative has happened at a business in your field. Or heck, just generally.
- How did that experience make you feel?
- What can our company do to ensure that we don't deliver that same experience to our consumers?

Keepsakes

Your core vision is already out there. You've already been implementing it without having it written down. Now is the time to reflect on the ups of business.
- What works?
- What makes our brand different as it stands right now?

Inspiration

From Amazon to the tire shop down the road, we all have people, businesses, and general aesthetics that resonate with our company.
- From what companies do you draw inspiration?
- What do they do that makes them different?

Answer those questions alone or as a team. I would take some time to clear your mind before you dive deeper. It can give perspective so that you are not reactionary but reflective.

There are a few last things to remember before you list out your core values. Be sure to keep it:
- Powerful
- Universal
- New

You are framing the narrative of the breathing company that is an extension of yourself. The vision is out there. Just grab it.