Ethics.
Conducting business ethically is not that hard, and yet many corporations have failed to do so in the name of the “shareholder primacy norm”. If big business and corporations are unwilling to shift this norm, it is up to small businesses and society to try to change the culture of business.
Life doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game, so why have we allowed so many to convince us it is?
Beliefs.
“Corporation” mentality has taken over our culture, but small to medium businesses give us a way forward. Here at Critter Kin, we believe:
Businesses should aim to benefit society, rather than prioritize monetary profit at any human cost. Money isn’t everything.
Local and regional business ecosystems should be prioritized over global entities whenever possible. In this way, businesses should aim to…
reduce environmental impact by sourcing locally/regionally as much as possible,
support regional and local economies, and
assure ethical practices with business partners.
Businesses should care about ALL stakeholders: its employees, customers, suppliers, partners, and owners. And yes, even the environment which allows us the resources and space to conduct business.
Businesses should contribute to a better societal culture. As a large part of society, businesses should take ownership in the role they play in contributing to a society’s culture. Over the past few decades, we have seen many businesses (looking at you, Corporations) run amok treating the world as its playground with little respect for it. The thing is… people matter, the environment matters, our decisions matter. It’s time for business culture to step up and be reformulated to actually care about the ecosystem it exists within.
Ownership means caring, NOT possessing. If we are to take ownership over anything (land, a collection of people, things designated as property, ideas), it means we care and nurture. The shepherd takes care of the flock, which can then in turn provide wool to keep warm with.