When people hear my business name Do Good, Be Good for the first time, they often think that I only work with nonprofits. That is not true. I work across all sectors. However, I believe strongly in working for positive change. I want my business to be a force for good. As a business owner, I feel it is important to work with people who share my values and sense of purpose. Below I am sharing with you my business principles and practices, as well as my own broad personal goals so that you can better understand what I am hoping to accomplish and why I do what I do.
Principles of Do Good, Be Good
· Support the best of humanity – connection, meaning-making, love, generosity, kindness, contribution, and community.
· Create space and experiences where people can be good humans.
· Be an island of sanity – allow people to reconnect with what matters most and to step back from the chaos and discord in the larger system.
· Model learning and continuous improvement.
· Seek alignment between my values and my business practices – practice integrity and admit mistakes when I have failed to live out my ideals.
· Bring people together and figure out what connections they share and what they want to create together.
· Support change, question change.
· Make it easy for people to do good.
· Continue to search for a purpose I want to commit my life’s work to, that which I can make small steps towards for decades, knowing that I may lose, but that it was worth fighting for.
Business Practices Which Align with Do Good, Be Good Principles
· Donate at least 1% of profits as cash donation to nonprofits and/or public schools which align with company values.
· Offer pro bono consulting to one nonprofit or all-volunteer group each quarter ($800-$3,000 in-kind donation).
· Work with customers/clients who share our commitment to making communities safer, smarter and healthier. Terminate relationships with customers/clients who demonstrate unethical practices.
· Create services and products which are actually helping people solve real problems or attain real accomplishments, using the best knowledge and practices available. Use written scope of work proposals and contracts to ensure transparency and clear expectations for clients/customers and DGBG.
· Source vendors and supplies locally whenever possible and from sustainably conscious companies and individuals who share our values. At least 50% of expenses locally sourced from independent businesses headquartered within 350 miles.
· Use public transportation, bicycling or walking whenever possible. At least 20% of trips less than 5 miles are through sustainable transportation. Also take advantage of carpooling and reducing unnecessary travel.
· Reduce the creation of unnecessary stuff by not creating cheap and unusable giveaway swag for branding, reusing supplies such as fidget toys, repurposing handouts as scratch paper for home printing, bring reusable water bottle to meetings and events.
· Print double-sided when printing is necessary for an event.
· Reduce energy use and waste at home office by: Composting food scraps, using space heater to keep overall thermostat low (65-68 degrees when occupied, 60-65 when unoccupied or overnight), use LED light bulbs, energy-efficient appliances, reusable dishes and napkins, harvest water for gardening, separate recycling, drop off glass recycling at collection centers, use reusable bags, return egg cartons to CSA, reduce purchasing of items with excessive packaging.
· Use promotional budget to support nonprofit organizations such as Girl Scouts, Flagstaff Women’s Soccer, Flagstaff Community Band, Elevate Nepal, Flagstaff Arts Council, Theatrikos Community Theater and Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona.
· Meet with customers and partners at locally owned coffee shops and restaurants. Get local gift cards as thank you gifts.
· Owner volunteer time – at least 10 hours per month; support employee paid volunteer time if company hires employees.
· Structure business to be able to pay a livable wage to owner and any future employees as well as fair rates to vendors (who are often local independent business owners).
· Follow professional code of ethics and strive for excellence in company principles.
Owner’s Personal Goals
· I would like to have a voice and a clear point of view. I would like to have a way to share that in a way that helps others, solves problems, and helps others solve problems.
· I would like to develop stories that are engaging and make the audience feel and think – stories that are memorable.
· I would like to have a strong body and mind that can take me to beautiful places, support my team, and lead a long active life.
· I would like to have enough money to buy good food and not be worried about big necessary purchases like a car or appliance. I want to have enough money to travel when opportunities present themselves.
· I would like to have a strong marriage in which we trust, support and love each other. I want us to grow together and face challenges together.
· I want to live in the present, able to enjoy what I am doing at any given moment without spending mental energy on something else.
· I want to laugh. I want to be silly, not take myself too seriously, and help others to laugh and enjoy life.
· I want to have autonomy and be able to continue to make my own decisions about how to use my time and energy. I want to have the freedom to do or not things or have things.