Chapter 2: Business Beyond Profit
I love the idea to incorporate the “Cause No Harm” value to all businesses and, in fact, to every decision in life. It goes hand and hand with our own constitution that states we all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as long as that pursuit doesn’t harm anyone else. Same principle….. Adding this one value would change things and I can think of one industry that would have to stop selling all products. Until that happens, however, consumers can drive the market by not doing business with any company that doesn’t incorporate this value.
Does anyone else see the good that would come from incorporating this value in our everyday lives? What other ways could consumers help incorporate this value?
Daniella, and 1 other are discussing. 
feyhandmade 10:32 pm on May 8, 2010 Permalink |
I definitely agree that people should act on a Cause No Harm policy, both within our work and outside of it. Bringing in the idea that we are all connected (from the beginning of the chapter) further emphasizes this concept. Even applying the idea to oneself (not causing harm to your own body) would be extending it to a place that would put a stop to these companies that try to sell us products that can harm (i.e. cigarettes are my main thought here) and eventually we would all be better off.
beadworksbykerri 2:45 pm on May 10, 2010 Permalink |
I agree, with the Cause No Harm policy, some industries would disappear completely. A funny story comes to mind with the tobacco industry. I was taking a Marketing 101 course and the professor showed us a tobacco ad in a magazine advising people not to smoke in bed. She said that proved the tobacco industry was concerned about their customers. I commented that they had to show concern….because they’re the only industry that kills 400,000 of its own customers every year so they have to constantly be replacing their customers while avoiding lawsuits, if at all possible……LOL
Daniella 5:26 am on May 9, 2010 Permalink |
I also really liked the idea of Cause No Harm in Buddhism, and how it can be applied on an individual level, inwardly or outwardly, or in a broader sense.
When this is applied to business, (i.e. “Have the intention of ‘Cause No Harm’, particularly in community”) I think it can *seem* a bit more tricky. It begs the questions, “‘How can I bring compassion and consider community in my business?” What the heck does that mean as an individual business owner without members or a Board of Directors? Does it mean I have to organize the community? Does it mean I should donate a portion of my profits to Philanthropic Funds?
Running community programs and donating to philanthropic groups are excellent ideas, but I think they can overwhelm a one-woman operation (especially if we are just starting, and funds are limited). However, this does not mean that we disregard our community. The idea of “cause no harm” can still be applied.
One way we can do this is to consider what we do (or don’t do) to keep our business expenditures in the local economy. If we can buy our supplies locally (as opposed to online), do we? If part of our work’s production can be outsourced somewhere, are we using a local tailor or knitter?
I try to keep my business expenses within the local economy, even at the expense of a slightly higher profit margin, because I know this is one way I can reasonably help the local economy grow & support individuals within my community.
beadworksbykerri 2:42 pm on May 10, 2010 Permalink |
Good points you’ve made here. Even beyond our business practices in regards to materials, I do most of my shopping at locally owned businesses, not the large conglomerates like WalMart. That way, all the proceeds stay within the community. This is one of the reasons why some communities are opting to not have a business such as WalMart open up stores, these larger retail businesses bring more variety and most of the time cheaper product, but at the expense of the local economy. I lean more toward buying products that are handmade to help support the cottage industry.
Can anyone think o another way we can conduct our business using the “Cause No Harm” policy?
Cody Moore 1:17 am on May 14, 2010 Permalink |
I definitely agree if people/businesses were more conscious of incorporating a “Cause No Harm” outlook it would be a better place. One way I’ve incorporated this policy in my business is in my contracts for doing design/illustration work it has a term that states that the work I do is not to be used to infringe upon anyone’s rights or in a way that can hurt anyone.
beadworksbykerri 9:26 am on May 14, 2010 Permalink |
That’s great Cody! You incorporated “Cause No Harm” in a very big way. Have you gotten any feedback from customers/clients? I’m curious how people are reacting to that part of the contract. Are you getting positive feedback?