We’re constantly flooded with stories of companies that ended up being their own worst enemy.

Whether it’s a CEO that put their foot in their mouth or an enterprise that turned out to be apart of less-than-savory dealings, scandals can happen to seemingly unsuspecting companies at a moment’s notice.

However, that doesn’t mean you should accept them as “business as usual.”

In fact, much of preventing scandals and big-time mistakes boils down to a combination of company culture and following the rules in regard to business. Sure, you should think outside the box and get creative when it comes to running your company, but that doesn’t mean taking liberties that could damage your reputation for the long-run.

If you want to make sure that you’re running a company that’s free of scandals, consider the following five-point checklist and see where you stack up.

Stay Compliant and Don’t Skirt the Rules

First and foremost, having your business covered from a compliance standpoint is a solid start. Whether it’s dealing with a financial audience or the different types of compliances for organizations, a keen understanding of legal and regulatory must-do’s is crucial. While these details are easy to overlook, they can effectively make or break a business that’s looking to stay in good standing.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Your coworkers should feel comfortable communicating with management and HR alike. Isolation leads to resentment and potential cultural or internal problems that you might not even be aware of. In that regard, communication services such as internet voice calls, offered by reputable sip trunking providers, can be a game-changer. Opting for such services can help establish and maintain effective business communication across your organization at all levels.

They enable businesses to make and receive phone calls, send and receive faxes, and even make video calls over the Internet. In this dynamic work environment, it’s not just about airing grievances during meetings; it’s about creating multiple channels for employees to reach out, connect, and share, and ucaas services are the modern way to do just that effectively. They offer organizations a comprehensive and integrated platform that combines various communication tools like voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging, and collaboration tools into one unified solution. After all, the more transparent your company’s communication lines are, the easier it will be to keep the business conflict-free.

Get Everything in Writing

Whether it’s employee contracts or commitments, make sure to get as much as you can in writing to prevent legal or “he said, she said” situations within the office. Emails and text messages make this process much easier, but documentation is still something to keep in the back of your mind when making big decisions. Just as accountability matters, so does having proof of who’s doing what in your organization.

Encourage Positivity as Part of Your Culture

The more your workers feel like they’re being underappreciated or otherwise unheard, the more they’ll come to resent you. Employees today need motivation beyond a paycheck: they need praise and positivity. Giving your coworkers a pat on the back isn’t fluff in a day and age where workers overwhelmingly feel like their work doesn’t matter.

By calling out good work and creating a happy office environment, everybody wins as they feed off of each other’s positivity.

Be Diligent About Company Data

On a final note about accountability, making data-driven decisions is essential to botching launches or making marketing moves that could work against your bottom line. When you root your decisions in data, there’s less risk involved in any and all moves that you make. This is especially true when dealing with money.

Anything can happen in the business world, but some mistakes indeed can be avoided. With these points in mind, you can run a better business that keeps its reputation safe and doesn’t expose itself to needless headaches.