What to do when mistakes happen in your business

You can be brilliantly trained, run tight systems and follow every process to the letter, and mistakes will still happen. You are human. Everyone makes mistakes. What actually matters is what you do next.

The way you handle a mistake says far more about you as a business owner than the mistake itself. Often it’s the aftermath, not the error, that decides whether a client stays with you and keeps trusting you. So it’s worth getting this right.

Is there a correct way to handle mistakes? Yes. Here’s what to do.

1. Own it

If you’ve got something wrong, get in front of it fast. Don’t bury your head in the sand and hope nobody notices. Step up, apologise, and tell the client how you’re going to put it right. Clients respect honesty. Own the mistake and they’re far more likely to respond well.

2. Fix it

Some mistakes are quick to sort: a typo, a missed payment, an overcharge. Others need more thought and a bit of creative problem solving. Either way, ask yourself the same question: what do you need to do to put this right, and what will actually solve the problem it’s created?

3. Learn from it

Owning the mistake and fixing it is only half the job. If you want to keep giving your clients the best of you, reflect on what happened. What went wrong? How did it happen? What can you learn from it, and what needs to change to stop it happening again?

4. Change and move on

This is where you act on what you’ve just learned. Do you need to change a system? Start something, or stop doing something? Maybe you need an operations manual to help you be prepared for any eventuality, or better documented workflows. Maybe it’s software that automates the process and takes human error out of it.

Tell your clients what you’re changing, too. It shows them you’re serious about giving them the best service, and that you’re willing to learn and improve, not just apologise and move on.

5. Let it go

Don’t beat yourself up over it. Most mistakes aren’t business ending or soul destroying, even though it can feel that way in the moment, especially if you’re hard on yourself or short on confidence. If that’s you, it might be worth working on your personal development, so you can trust yourself more. Learn what you need to, make the changes, then let it go.

The bottom line

However well trained or established you are, mistakes will happen. How you respond to them says a lot about who you are as a business owner.

Follow the steps above and you’ll show clients you’re trustworthy and professional. You don’t need to be perfect to be the right fit for a client. You do need to show you’re willing to learn, improve and grow, whatever the circumstances, so you can keep giving them your best.

If you want ongoing VA training and support to help you develop yourself and your business, take a look at the VA Membership. It gives you affordable, practical support and the expert help you need to build and grow your VA business.