I was about to close down business for the day, and went over to Technorati to see who else was posting using the tag "conscious business".
I found my way to an amazing interview with Reem Rahim, the artist behind the company Numi Tea...I have enjoyed their teas in the past, but will be inspired, I think, to select another one the next time I'm in the health food store.
Check it out...this touches on just about every theme I've been writing about here. (And also check out blogger Britt Bravo's Have Fun Do Good.)
Including the fact that starting and running a business is a creative act, an art. (Rahim is actually a fine artist.)
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Begin With The End In Mind
I'm boycotting links to the NY Times (a bit) because they fail to understand that information wants to be free...sometimes the link stays out there for some undetermined period of time, sometimes they ask you to pay to see the article.
That said, a few weeks ago, there was a slightly snarky article about greenwashing, and the new buttons marketers are pushing to get us to buy stuff: the "green" button. (If you wanna pay to read it, click here.)
I'm not accusing anyone of greenwashing. (The last time I did this, I hurt someone's feelings.) But vegan chef Alex Jamieson (of Super Size Me fame) has posted a list showing ownership for natural and organic companies.
I know someone who worked for a while in a boutique investment bank specializing in buying and selling "natural and organic" businesses.
But you've got to think about the nature of a small business. These guys aren't eeeeeeevil!
Maybe you start your business on your dining room table, on your laptop. You don't get paid until the business makes a profit. You usually work a lot more hours than you do when working for The Man. You don't get paid when you're sick or on vacation.
Maybe the business grows. You start to get paid, maybe even have "benefits". (Although chances are, unless you're an extraordinary manager, you'll probably still have some concerns about your shop when you're on vacation or out sick.)
If you're really fortunate, the business grows and grows for the next 20-30 years. Then, it is time to retire. What do you do then?
Business people speak of "exit strategies". What will you do when you no longer want to work in your business every day?
Close the doors and walk away? (Sometimes this makes sense.)
One real and very possible goal is to sell the business.
If you look at the timeline, you might guess that natural and organic businesses are being sold now because the idealistic entrepreneurs who started the businesses in the 1970s are just ready to ride off into the sunset of retirement.
Who said, "Begin with the end in mind"? (Stephen Covey?)
Spend time early on in your business on the important work of envisioning your possible exit strategies.
That said, a few weeks ago, there was a slightly snarky article about greenwashing, and the new buttons marketers are pushing to get us to buy stuff: the "green" button. (If you wanna pay to read it, click here.)
I'm not accusing anyone of greenwashing. (The last time I did this, I hurt someone's feelings.) But vegan chef Alex Jamieson (of Super Size Me fame) has posted a list showing ownership for natural and organic companies.
I know someone who worked for a while in a boutique investment bank specializing in buying and selling "natural and organic" businesses.
But you've got to think about the nature of a small business. These guys aren't eeeeeeevil!
Maybe you start your business on your dining room table, on your laptop. You don't get paid until the business makes a profit. You usually work a lot more hours than you do when working for The Man. You don't get paid when you're sick or on vacation.
Maybe the business grows. You start to get paid, maybe even have "benefits". (Although chances are, unless you're an extraordinary manager, you'll probably still have some concerns about your shop when you're on vacation or out sick.)
If you're really fortunate, the business grows and grows for the next 20-30 years. Then, it is time to retire. What do you do then?
Business people speak of "exit strategies". What will you do when you no longer want to work in your business every day?
Close the doors and walk away? (Sometimes this makes sense.)
One real and very possible goal is to sell the business.
If you look at the timeline, you might guess that natural and organic businesses are being sold now because the idealistic entrepreneurs who started the businesses in the 1970s are just ready to ride off into the sunset of retirement.
Who said, "Begin with the end in mind"? (Stephen Covey?)
Spend time early on in your business on the important work of envisioning your possible exit strategies.
Carbon Offsets
I'm a carbon offset skeptic. Back in the fall, I attempted to read a recent industry publication about how these things are calculated, and was utterly stymied. (And I have a masters degree in finance, so I'm good with the math, reading opaque documents like prospectuses, etc.)
I decided at that time to forget the carbon offsets, for now. (I also noted my own personal inclination to "outsource" difficult tasks. It would be easy to maintain some of my not-so-green habits and just pay someone else to handle it.)
One of my regular green read is Joel Makower's Two Steps Forward; check out his recent post on this topic.
I decided at that time to forget the carbon offsets, for now. (I also noted my own personal inclination to "outsource" difficult tasks. It would be easy to maintain some of my not-so-green habits and just pay someone else to handle it.)
One of my regular green read is Joel Makower's Two Steps Forward; check out his recent post on this topic.
Sick Days
Ok, after about 10 years of shockingly amazing health, I've had the flu twice since the fall.
I've had a day job is in Corporate America for the past 18 months; many of my co-workers have kids, who seem to be like petri dishes when it comes to colds and flu. And despite our bountiful benefits plan (including sick days and vacation pay...something I hadn't had for 10 or 11 years) people come to work sick! And then we all infect one another.
Why do people who get paid when they are sick come to work? I have no answer on this one.
But what about people who aren't paid when they are sick?
In denial about the possibility that I could be sick for more than two days (I'm also bulletproof), I went back to work a day too soon. I have to be honest -- I wasn't anywhere near even 80% of my ordinary productivity.
Even if you want to forget your karma, what does this mean for your business?
I've had a day job is in Corporate America for the past 18 months; many of my co-workers have kids, who seem to be like petri dishes when it comes to colds and flu. And despite our bountiful benefits plan (including sick days and vacation pay...something I hadn't had for 10 or 11 years) people come to work sick! And then we all infect one another.
Why do people who get paid when they are sick come to work? I have no answer on this one.
But what about people who aren't paid when they are sick?
In denial about the possibility that I could be sick for more than two days (I'm also bulletproof), I went back to work a day too soon. I have to be honest -- I wasn't anywhere near even 80% of my ordinary productivity.
Even if you want to forget your karma, what does this mean for your business?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
