Media stories of large brands failing to meet consumer or legislative expectations can give the impression that smaller businesses are less at risk. But even the smallest SME should take its reputation as seriously as a giant one.

Small businesses and start-ups rely on every positive customer experience, and often operate within slim profit margins. It makes sense to build resilient systems to manage your reputation and reap the benefits.

So, what are the top reputation-building steps for small businesses - and how can standards support SMEs?

1. Take responsibility for your actions

Today’s socially-conscious consumer environment can be unforgiving for businesses who don’t have an idea of their social impact. It’s important for even the smallest of companies to consider how their operations make a positive contribution, as well as minimise any potentially negative impact.

Social impact covers several areas - environment, working practices, human rights, management practices, anti-corruption and community issues. How your actions are perceived by consumers, employees and stakeholders can be the difference between success and failure.

BS EN ISO 26000:2020 helps SMEs build a tailored social responsibility strategy. It provides guidance on how to engage your team and wider communities and partners with the strategy, improving trust and credibility.

2. Embrace the environment

In our current climate, sustainability is top of mind for consumers. But Britons generally believe industries are not doing enough to minimize their environmental impact.

If you’re only doing the bare minimum, it’s time to reassess – sustainability should be a priority when it comes to building a positive reputation. What’s more, it’s quicker, easier and less costly for small businesses to embed sustainability processes than larger brands.

BS EN ISO 14001:2015+A1:2024 sets out a framework to make your daily operations more sustainable, contributing to improved brand perceptions.

3. Secure your data

It’s not just large corporations managing vast quantities of data that should take cybersecurity seriously. Every business must take steps to protect its customer and partner data. In today’s fast-moving digital climate, it is an essential way to build your reputation as a well-run company, viable investment prospect or trusted partner.

With remote working and bring your own device (BYOD) policies the norm, the potential for human error is ever-present. Having well-designed cybersecurity processes – based on recognized standards – is the best way to reduce the risk of a cyberattack and staff errors. SMEs can use BS EN ISO/IEC 27001:2023+A1:2024 to protect vital assets such as financial information, intellectual property, employee details or information entrusted by third parties.

4. Maintain quality

Making sure you can consistently provide the same high-quality products and services to your customers is fundamental to every small business. For start-ups and young businesses this is even more critical – every single new customer is hard-won and easily lost in today’s competitive consumer landscape.

As well as being an investment in your business, creating a quality management system using BS EN ISO 9001:2015+A1:2024, and getting certified once you have, sends a clear message that you are committed to quality and continual improvement.

5. Engage with your customers

Making sure your products and services are meeting customer expectations is one part of the reputation-building puzzle for SMEs. Another is the way that you handle things when mistakes are made, or complaints occur. Good customer service is a powerful reputation builder – and can set you apart.

Helpfully, there’s already an international standard for customer satisfaction – BS ISO 10002:2018. It gives clear guidance to help you create your own complaints management system. SMEs can use it to identify complaints, their causes and ensure optimal remedies. It also helps you make complaints handling effective and efficient – a must for every growing business.

Experience the benefits of standards

Using recognized standards is the best way for small business owners to create a positive reputation for the long term. They help you build processes to handle unexpected incidents and mistakes, as well as drive business fundamentals like quality and information management.

Standards are an efficient way to inspire confidence in customers, partners and investors and help your SME reach the next stage in its journey.

If you have questions about the right standard for your needs, contact the BSI Member Enquiry Service by emailing knowledgecentre@bsigroup.com. The service is included in your membership, and you’ll be talking to professional researchers with up-to-date databases of national and international standards.

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