Just because you are a small, one-person business doesn’t mean you can get away with “personnel issues” that large companies can’t. Without policy and checks and balances to serve as guidelines, you might actually be more prone to stereotypes and prejudice in your home business.
So, what’s the problem with stereotyping? Well, you could easily offend or drive away customers and clients if you share broad assumptions about people based on race, age, gender, income level, etc. Not to mention, it does not represent you or your business well. Even the most innocent seeming comments can display stereotypes. Saying things like: “you know how they are” and referring to women, men, children, older people, ethnicity, race, etc. can easily come off as sharing a narrow opinion. While you may be assuming that you are on the same page with the person you are talking to, or think you are being playful or joking–this can be extremely inappropriate.
Making assumptions about people is seldom a good idea. There is a big difference between understanding your market and getting a good feel for demographics, and casting about broad assumptions and generalizations about people based on how they look, dress, speak, etc. Stereotyping limits your business and yourself.
You language and demeanor can express a tendency to stereotype, so think carefully about how you are talking about and to people. There is something to be said for erring on the side of caution and being “politically correct” when speaking with people. It is a good idea to watch e-mails, letters, and other types of correspondence for stereotypes as well. But, also look over your marketing materials and your web site and see if you have images that might represent or perpetuate stereotypes. When in doubt, run your materials or business correspondence by a neutral and broad-minded third-party to make sure that you are not likely to offend or put anyone off.
See Also: Living With Stereotypes–All Jews Have Money