Everyday in America, tens of thousands of airplanes
take-off and land safely, on time, and without fanfare.

Once or twice a year, something goes terribly wrong
and we get to read about it on the front page of every
media out source in the land.

Yesterday I attended an event that honored a small
business client of mine with the “Ethics in Business Award”

No, this story won’t make many headlines, won’t be
on 60 minutes, and might not make the owner of that
business a dime…but – that small business, one that
does what it does all day long, because it’s the right
thing to do, charges an honest price only for the top
quality work it produces, and treats its 22 employees
the same way it treats members of a family…is what
makes this a great country.

Thousands of small businesses exist in America and
bring countless benefits to millions of American families
with little or no fanfare and without breaking, bending
or even rationalizing away a single law. Boring, maybe,
but thank God for them.

Running a small business is a lot like golf. There are
more rules in golf than just about any other game, but
it’s also one of the easiest games around to cheat at.
So, what score did you really get at the end of your
round today?

I’m so proud to be associated with the thousands of
small businesses out their, just like the one in my
story, who may never be household names, but who
also won’t be the next corporate disaster headline
any time soon either.

Our keynote speaker at the award event told us that
practicing ethics in business is a simple as heeding
the oft-repeated words of his mother.

“Stay on the right side.”

My advice to anyone feeling the daily pressure of
making a go of a small business.

Know what you value, tell everyone, and make decisions
based on those values…everything else should take
care of itself.