Integrity is important to your small business.

Of all the elements you need in small business integrity is the most important. While some may get away with being dishonest in the short run, it is the entrepreneur that has integrity that will survive the long run.

Not only should you demand the upmost integrity from yourself but also from the businesses you deal with. If you do not feel comfortable with the way a supplier is doing business or one of your marketing partners is doing business, find someone else to do business with. Not only will they run themselves down but they will take you down with them.

You should also remember that sometimes your employees will not have the same sense of integrity that you have so it is important to keep vigilant have protections in place. I am not saying be paranoid but if you have the proper checks and balances in place, you will greatly reduce the chances that something could happen. Nothing will hurt more than having one of your employees betray your trust but you must remember the fault rests with them and not you.

The Freestyle Entrepreneur has an entry that goes further into the integrity issue.