Read This Book . . .

. . . if you own or run a business, or if you’re thinking of starting one.
. . . if you think there has to be more to doing business than just making money.
. . . if you feel “there’s got to be a way” to run a successful business without driving yourself and your employees to early graves.
. . . if you want to know how to build a business that will reflect your personal values, not force you to hide them.
. . . if you’re studying business, and you want to know what business can do at its best.
. . . if you’ve been hearing about “corporate social responsibility” or “the triple bottom line,” and you wonder what all the fuss is about—or if you think those ideas apply only to major corporations.
. . . if you’ve read books or articles about corporate social responsibility and discovered they don’t help you meet the real-world challenges you confront in a small- or medium-sized business.
. . . if you’ve been thinking of investing in ways to treat your customers or your employees better, or to reduce the damage you’re doing to the environment, but you think your company’s just not big enough to afford it—or if you think your profits will go down if you do.
. . . or if you want to understand one of the most powerful new ideas that’s affecting business all over the world today.

Chapter 1 Sample: So, why are you in business?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Read this book

Letter from Editor of the Social Venture Network Series

Acknowledgements

Preface

    * Who invented “values-driven business”?
    * The five dimensions of values-driven business
    * What you’ll find between these covers
    * What’s next?

1: So, why are you in business?

    * Living a life of purpose and fulfillment
    * Shorebank – the little bank that could
    * Wild Planet Toys – “the line you won’t cross”
    * Can you make money in a values-driven business?
    * The pros and cons of bringing your values to work

2: Are you ready to take the plunge?

    * What does it take to integrate your values into your business?
    * Will this cost me an arm and a leg?
    * Give Something Back – business for the community’s sake
    * Can you go it alone?
    * Are you ready for values-driven business? A self-assessment tool

3: First things first: your employees

    * How much are employees worth?
    * Clif Bar – building a sustainable business
    * Sharing the wealth
    * Eileen Fisher – a joyful culture
    * How many benefits are enough?
    * Vatex – employee rights, not benefits
    * Relief Resources – bottom-line benefits
    * Sharing your passion and your knowledge with your employees
    * Turning your employees into partners: a checklist

4: Turning the value chain into a “values chain”

    * Imprinting your values on your suppliers
    * Avalon Natural Products – win-win solutions through collaboration
    * Choosing vendors who will make a difference
    * Pura Vida – sharing values
    * PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics: Putting your money where your mouth is
    * Where does social change start?
    * Partnering with your suppliers: a checklist

5: Developing a dialogue with your customers

    * Value exchange vs. values exchange
    * You want what? You want it when?
    * Seventh Generation – building trust
    * Are your eyes and ears always open?
    * Warm Spirit – listening to customers
    * Leading with your values
    * Do your customers share your values?
    * Worldwise – a business built on feedback
    * How much is your reputation worth?
    * Mobilizing your customers for social impact: a checklist

6: Staking out your place in the community

    * Location, location, location
    * White Dog Café – good food as a lure for activism
    * Greyston Bakery – a very different community
    * How to give something back and get a lot in return
    * Eileen Fisher – a very special celebration
    * Is philanthropy the answer?
    * Mal Warwick & Associates – giving back to the community
    * Immaculate Baking – cookies for the arts
    * Digging deeper into your community: a checklist

7: Leaving a lighter footprint on the planet

    * Assessing your company’s environmental impact
    * TS Designs – seeking sustainability
    * The Natural Step Framework
    * Recycling – “A toothbrush is a beginning”
    * New Leaf Paper – “paper with a past and a future”
    * Juniper Communities – “It ain’t easy being green”
    * Remember the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle
    * Minimizing your environmental footprint: a checklist

8: You really can try this at home!

About the Social Venture Network

About the authors

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