25 Ways to Make Your Business More Socially Responsible

Businesses all over the world are encouraged to be socially responsible. Big companies in some countries are even required to implement their corporate social responsibility. But do we really need to wait for some laws and legislations that will mandate us to perform our social responsibilities? Even kids should be taught how to be socially responsible. How much more those who enjoy profit from their businesses? Social responsibility doesn’t only mean incorporating your own charitable foundation or other type of non-for-profit organizations. It’s not only extended to sponsoring scholarship to deserving students or to donating money to hospitals and orphanage. Social responsibility is wide and deep, and isn’t only limited to your public relations. As the society is broad, it definitely includes yourself, your employees, business partners and your customers. If you want to do business with sense, here are 25 ways to make your business more socially responsible.

 

Within yourself

1. Know yourself. You are part of the society; you’re a very significant part of your business. That is why you need to know yourself. It’s a great responsibility you shouldn’t ignore. To know yourself, listen to your friends, to your critiques, to your mentors, and most importantly, listen to yourself – meditate and reflect.

2. Have a great purpose. Where are you heading to? Why are you doing business? The purpose of a certain business lies on the purpose of its owner. Hence, to be more socially responsible, you should set and define a greater personal purpose. To save the world in a specific way is one great purpose.

3. Achieve inner peace. If you have inner peace, it will affect your business positively. Therefore, start to forgive your sinners, as well as yourself. Forget the past that is consuming your present and future. A socially responsible business person initiates peace and real happiness within him.

4. Continue learning. We are here in this world to learn. We do business to learn new business lessons. So be humble and be responsible. You need to continue learning to continue providing the world with new things. You need to continue thinking and practicing your responsibility to the society.

5. Be an example. If you want your business to be socially responsible, be a manifestation of inspiration. Start motivating yourself, and then motivate other people by becoming a leader by example.

 

Inside the workplace

6. Hire the right people. Your team should be socially responsible. Therefore, you should select and hire the best employees or workers.

7. Train your workers well. Quality affects your company’s social responsibility. Hence, you need to make sure that your people are well-trained. Involve yourself to that training.

8. Compensate your employees well. Your business social responsibility includes your responsibility to your employees. Thus, you need to ensure that they are happy with their compensation.

9. Help them improve their lives. Help your team develop themselves economically, professionally and personally. Share not only financial profit, but also share honor and glory. Always share the blessings with your team. They work hard for you anyway.

10. Make them really happy. Ensuring that your employees are happy is an act of a socially responsible business owner and manager.  To do that you need to be a selfless leader to them. It’s difficult to really make them happy, but the key is to be patient, diligent and persistent.

 

With your customers

11. Provide quality products or services. Well, this is a common advice and self-explanatory. But most business owners who are profit-oriented don’t follow it. So if you want to be really responsible socially, don’t be among them. Be different; stand and fight for quality!

12. Give extra customer care. We, the customers need this, and we are happy to receive extra customer care from any businesses. Thus, make your customers really happy.

13. Be honest in advertising. Your advertising and other marketing campaigns are not only presented to your customers, they are shown to the public. Thus be honest and be socially responsible. You don’t want to suffer from the drawbacks of deceit and lies, do you?

14. Help your customers improve their lives. You should not just help your employees grow, but also help your customers improve their lives too. This is the essence of social responsibility, that business owners should not only become profit-oriented, but also become people-oriented. Try to educate your customers. It’s one of the good ways to help them grow.

15. Create good and lasting relationships. A socially responsible business creates harmonious relationships with its customers. When it comes to creating relationships, it requires building of trust and confidence. Thus, you need to be a real friend to them who is always there to offer a helping hand.

 

With other business stakeholders

16. Be just to your partners and co-owners. If you’re not a responsible business companion, there’s no way you can be a socially responsible business person.

17. Be honest in reporting. You should present fair financial reporting or financial statements to interested parties, which can be your investors, co-owners, creditors and the government.

18. Be a responsible debtor. Your creditors are also part of your social responsibility. Therefore, have a good business with them and deliver your promises.

19. Be a conscientious taxpayer. Follow the laws.

20. Be a fair business competitor. Even your business foes are part of your social responsibility. Hence, compete fairly in the business world.

 

With the world

21. Protect our planet. Let your grandchildren and our grandchildren have a safer world to live. There are many ways to preserving our nature, such as conserving electricity and water, planting trees, cleaning your car, and educating the world how to make our environment greener.

22. Uphold morality and right conduct. How will you do that? Turn your attention to the innocent children. In other words, be acceptable to all ages.

23. Give to the poor. Partying, celebrating, feasting, and inviting politicians and other pertinent persons are not what socializing responsibly means. If you focus on those activities, you’re just pushing your public relations and image to the masses near to danger. Instead of the cocktails and the elegant parties, go for charity and feed the hungry poor people.

24. Help the economy grow. Whether you own a small business or a big one, you can contribute to your country’s economic growth if you will perform well in your business. So do the hard work, be efficient, and earn good profits. Further, learn the technique of cooperation. If you think it’s about time to expand, then invite investors, create more jobs, and grow your business family.

25. Change the world. You don’t need to be a billionaire entrepreneur like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to spin the world in a different direction. If you can change yourself to a better businessman, transform your workers to better persons, give your customers a better life, and make your community a better place to live, then you can change the world. All of the ways above are meant to change the world. It’s your social responsibility to start doing them, as well as accomplishing them.

Have a socially responsible business! It doesn’t matter if you’re running a small enterprise or a big corporation. Social responsibility is for all.