MONEY OR INTEGRITY, WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE AS A BUSINESS OWNER? Intergrity Over Money? Does Trust Matters In Business.... Let’s talk about business ethics, integrity, and why some clients will always test your values! So, there’s this client who runs a food business. She wanted a social media manager from my agency but didn’t want to pay the premium package fee. I get it—small businesses have budget concerns, and I’m always willing to work with business owners to help them grow. So, I did what I normally wouldn’t do: ✅ I gave her a hybrid staff (which is meant for premium clients) ✅ I agreed to 2 posts per day (even though this was above the basic plan she paid for) ✅ I kept the price at 150K/month (which is less than 180k basic price package) instead of pushing her to go for the premium package of 250K/month Fast forward to the next month… I sent her a renewal receipt, and suddenly, she’s no longer interested. Her excuse was? “2 posts per day is not enough isn't enough for my kind of business.” But wait oh… isn’t that what we agreed on? Didn’t I already explain that higher posting and hybrid roles belong to the higher package? Fine. Business is business. If she doesn’t want to renew, we move. I instructed my staff to log out from all accounts and officially end the contract. Then I reminded my staff about our agreement: 🚨 If the client reaches out to hire you privately, refer them back to us. Don’t breach your contract. Don’t compromise your integrity. And guess what? The client had already offered my staff money to work for her outside my agency. Meaning, she planned to cut me off and go behind my back. BUT MY STAFF REFUSED! She said something that made me so proud: 💬 "More than the money she offered me, I value my integrity, trust, and my working relationship with my employer." So whats the lesson we need to learn from this? 1️⃣ Some Clients Don’t Just Want Services, They Want to Exploit Your Structure! Some people don’t respect business boundaries. They will come in, act friendly, negotiate, underpay you, then try to steal your staff or resources when they think they don’t need you anymore. 🚨 Don’t be naive dear agency owners! Put structures and contracts in place. Protect your business! 2️⃣ Integrity Will Take You Further Than Money Ever Will! That staff could have taken the money. She could have cut corners. She could have disrespected the company that trained and paid her. But she chose loyalty. And trust me, this one act of integrity will open bigger doors for her than any under-the-table deal ever could. The biggest mistake you can make as a business owner or staff is to sell out your integrity for short-term gains. 3️⃣ Business Owners, Do Onto others what you want Done to You? I told the client straight up: "If your own staff did this to you, how would you feel? I hope you will be happy. " See eh... This thing we are talking about happens every day in business. People will poach your best workers. People will use you and cut you off. But that’s their character, not yours. So as a business owner protect yourself. As an employee value integrity, because reputation is everything. If you’re running a business, ensure you have contracts and structures that protect your work and your people. If you’re an employee, understand that trust and loyalty will take you further than any shady money deal. And if you’re a client, RESPECT business structures. Don’t try to cut corners and cheat the system. At the end of the day, business is about relationships. And the people who play fair and do business with integrity always win in the long run. I hope this helps someone out there from experience staff poaching by clients/customers. Dear AlphaLion 💛 in Business, I love you all and I am rooting for you. #eminentaugusta