The Great Good - Volume 3, Issue 9
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."
-Ruth Bader Ginsburg
It hits us every time a new Benefit Corporation for Good (BCFG) business is certified. This week marks the 66th company joining our community – bringing unbridled passion and commitment by a small business promising to do better in the world in which it operates. This dedication is what is leading the small business movement toward improving our communities and our planet.
It's readily apparent that the leaders of these businesses take their cues from more than their income statements. They look at all their stakeholders to make sure the decisions they make align with their triple bottom line values of People, Planet and Profit.
Paul Polman, author of the new book Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More than They Take has been leading a business movement for more than two decades emphatically supporting the triple bottom line. He says, "We cannot choose between growth and sustainability; we must have both."
It's our feeling that our “Benefit Corporations for Good” family undoubtedly believes in fighting the good fight for things they care about, referring to Justice Ginsburg's quote above. They fight for environmental, social and economic justice. That thinking runs through the veins of all 66 BCFG leaders.
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Are you a BIPOC business? Helping create an inclusive and welcoming community, embracing all, is the highest priority for us. To further this cause, we are now offering 15% off our certification fee to all BIPOC businesses to become a Benefit Corporation for Good. Just reach out to us.
Now about this issue of The Greater Good.
First of all, you can read an engaging article about what is a "purpose-driven leader." Do you define yourself as such a person? (Hint: Harvard Business Review only ne 20% of leaders even know what their purpose is.)
Secondly, you can watch Simon Sinek's powerful TED Talk about how great leaders inspire action with Simon Sinek. He is the author of Start with Why. This YouTube video has more than 15,000,000 views and definitely worth a viewing.
Finally, you can learn 9 compelling reasons to become a certified benefit corporation. It's one of the most viewed posts of all time on our BCFG blog.
What is Purpose-Driven Leadership? Over the last few years, a new trend has emerged in the business community: a move towards more impactful leadership. It used to be that business leaders were relied on simply for the business' bottom line. Leaders were only considered good if the business they ran was making a profit. If it wasn't, then they weren't good leaders. Today, a good leader does more than lead their company to a profitable quarter. They are required to be exemplary and nothing short of the personification of a company's value system, morals and purpose. See if you fit the description. Read Now
How Great Leaders Inspire Action Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers. This TED talk shows that the leaders who have had the greatest influence in the world all think, act and communicate the same way—and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. Watch Now
9 Advantages of Becoming a Benefit Corporation There are many advantages to becoming a Benefit Corporation, including doing good for people and the planet. While there is no requirement to be certified to do good for the planet, being a Benefit Corporation could provide perks that you may not have ever had access to on your own. So what are some of these perks? Learn what nine thought leaders reveal in their insights about what they see as the advantages of being a Benefit Corporation. Read Now
HIGHLIGHTS
Congrats to our latest certified Benefit Corporation for Good. Here's George Willis, president of Vanport Financial and triple bottom line business. Well done George!
EVENTS
November 27: Startups Fund Raising Program
Info here.
December 6: Business Mastery - Finding & Keeping Employees
Info here.
December 13: Business Mastery - Lead Generation
Info here.
INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE SMALL BIZ COMMUNITY THROUGH ADVOCACY?
The Small Business Utility Advocates is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that represents, protects, and promotes the interests of small business utility customers. Energy, water, and other utilities have a direct impact upon the success of small businesses.
As strong supporters of the work of SBUA, Benefit Corporations for Good has seen the organization in action before the Oregon Public Utility Commission and in B2B meetings using expertise and experience to push for equitable treatment for small businesses.
If you're a business leader in the Portland, OR area and want to support SBUA through work advocating for small business, you might be eligible for some compensation for your time and efforts. For details contact diane@utilityadvocates.org.
For more information about what SBUA has been doing generally and in Oregon see www.utilityadvocates.org/news-and-resources.
KNOW OTHERS WHO BELIEVE IN A BETTER BUSINESS MODEL?
Do you know other people who are interested in the Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet and Profit? Conscientious eaders and businesses who believe in doing business for the greater good? Then send them this link so they can receive our eletter free every other week devoted, of course, to the greater good!
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If you're interested in seeing the companies we've certified to date, go here.
If you're interested in learning more about our certification process, go here.
If you're interested in becoming an Oregon Benefit Company, go here.