Did you ever dream of saving an endangered species? Or possibly
conserving natural resources while providing an economic boost to a
developing country? These altruistic actions are possible, and,
best of all, you don't even have to join the Peace Corps or
start a nonprofit organization to carry out your vision for a
better world. Meet some globally minded business owners who rake in
nice profits with their ventures.
An eye-opening experience inspired Jon Stocking to create his
Endangered Species Chocolate Co. in 1994. While fishing on a tuna
boat in the Pacific, Stocking saved a dolphin and its mother from
the fishermen's nets-and vowed to take environmental action on
a daily basis. A former caterer, Stocking, 45, focused on making
organic chocolate bars with pictures of endangered species on the
wrappers because, he says, "[I thought] chocolate would be a
great medium for an environmental message-to use [the product] as a
vehicle to educate and donate."
With money saved from a previous catering gig supplemented with
credit cards, Stocking launched a successful chocolate company in
Talent, Oregon, that now distributes worldwide and through natural
foods stores in the United States. With sales exceeding $2 million
per year, he commits 10 percent of profits toward saving the
endangered species featured on his candy bars: orangutans,
cheetahs, sea turtles, sea otters and more. Direct contributions
are made to such organizations as the Jane Goodall Institute, the
Wildlife Conservation Society, Defenders of Wildlife and American
Forests.
| SILENCING THE CRITICS | |
| Socially responsible companies often face criticism from
jaded consumers. It's always a
good idea to prepare for such criticism and be ready to refute it.
You can avoid PR nightmares by anticipating every possible question and finding
out the answers for yourself. For instance:
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1. Who are your suppliers? Do they run their businesses in an
ethical way?
2. What do you stand for?
3. What lines would you never cross? Always keep in mind you won't be able to please everyone-a vegan may dislike that you use dairy products in your
organic foods, but the fact that your company gets milk from
free-range cows with no growth hormones is in line with your core
mission. Stand by your convictions and
be prepared to defend them honestly
when asked. |
Mike Korchinsky founded his environmentally sensitive business,
Wildlife Works, in San Francisco in 1997 after a vacation to
Africa. He was astounded by the beauty of the natural environment,
but dismayed to see the destruction of some of the continent's
natural habitats. "It was obvious to me that the wildlife I
was enjoying so much was in a pretty fragile state," he says.
"And it was fragile [because] of competition with poor rural
people."
Korchinsky knew that to change the situation, he would have to
give the local community a viable economic incentive to preserve
the land. A former management consultant, Korchinsky, 40, figured
the best way to accomplish this was to create a for-profit business
model that created jobs as well as provided environmentally sound
products.
At Wildlife Works, this model is dubbed "Consumer Powered
Conservation." The line of casual apparel manufactured at the
plant in Africa is made by local workers with natural materials.
With a slew of newly-created jobs, more money flows into the local
economy, thereby lessening residents' need to damage natural
resources.
Angel investors who shared his passion helped Korchinsky realize
his dream of creating a business model that would benefit humanity
yet still reap profits-2002 sales projections are in the $3 million
range. Today, the clothing line can be found in high-end U.S.
retailers such as Fred Segal and Nordstrom, and is also sold via
small-scale distribution channels that reach Kenya and other
African countries. Next up: Korchinsky is planning on expanding his
Wildlife Works brand by including crafts from co-ops in Africa and
building a flagship store that sells a broad array of products made
with natural materials, such as clothing and letter openers.
Although these entrepreneurs cite the importance of staying true
to your values and core mission whenever you are starting a do-good
venture, keeping your gaze steadily on the business of creating and
selling the best product or service is important. "The
negative side is that [being socially conscious] can create some
limitations," Korchinsky says. "There are things we just
won't do, [even though] they might be much more lucrative and
profitable for us in the short term."
And, above all, don't let the negative public perception of
environmentally friendly wares hold you back. Says Stocking,
"People just don't expect [organic products] to be good;
they automatically think it has to be poor quality." It's
up to you to prove the skeptics wrong.
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