3 Ways to Become a More Socially Conscious Business

Have you ever heard a big brand name say they were “socially conscious”? 

You know the ones I’m talking about… the brands with products in the huge department stores that ship all over the world. Aside from the problematic consumerism + capitalist industry that most of these large corporations belong to, there are some other issues with the way we tend to view socially conscious businesses. 

Firstly, I think there’s this underlying belief that only big businesses can make that big of an impact. That couldn’t be further from the truth, in my opinion. I believe that a small business actually has a greater ability to make an impact on an individual and community level — which has ripple effects on our society at large.

How can small businesses be socially conscious? 

If you’re a small business owner or online entrepreneur wondering how you can actually make an impact and create a socially conscious brand, you might feel a little overwhelmed. I get it — we’re not taught how to “make an impact” with our businesses — we’re only taught about profit!

But you can have a socially conscious brand that doesn’t produce eco-friendly materials from silkworms or have a huge drive to raise thousands of dollars to save the rainforest. A socially conscious business is aware of societal concerns, yes, but they also operate in a way that is transparent and focused on making a positive impact on those in their circle of influence.

This means a socially conscious business might have policies to support its local community, and/or it might have extra time off for new parents. A socially conscious business may buy their client gifts from Black-owned or BIPOC makers. A socially conscious business may donate profits to a cause near and dear to their team. A socially conscious business works to hire people with diverse experiences and backgrounds — rather than just hiring for the role.

There is more than one way to be a socially conscious business, but I know that it can be overwhelming when you think about all the things you can do.

The good news is that there are 3 ways that you, today, can lay the groundwork for a more socially conscious business, no matter how small or large you are! 

Understand that there’s a gray area

Many of my clients come to me with the same question during the recruiting process: How can I be ethical without becoming a pushover? When we want to create socially conscious businesses, it means that we have to be conscious of what our teams are going through — from parenthood to disability to mental health and emotions around recent news cycles.

I totally understand where this question is coming from. Oftentimes, the idea of ethics has been conflated with the false narrative of being “too soft.” I think the majority of this has come from the parenting industry, specifically older generations who think that gentle parenting equals lax parenting. 

But when it comes to your business, the LAST thing you want is to be a lax parent. The good news is… There’s a gray area where ethics meets business. 

And as CEOs, managers, and owners, it’s our responsibility to live in this gray area. 

You can strive for balance and remain curious about how to be ethical while still leading. You don’t need to be a pushover to be ethical. You can have standards and management qualities while remaining aware that your employees are always humans first.

Have expectations and run your business in a way that’s profitable and successful without becoming oppressive. It’s a line (a sometimes thin one), but the more you work on walking it, the better you’ll be! 

Ground yourself in your values

I know a lot of us hold very similar values here (you wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t!), but even if yours are a bit different than mine, it’s important to be grounded in them. Use those values as your compass to confront “ick” business tactics that don’t feel aligned with your socially conscious brand. 

For example, if one of your core values is integrity but you plan on hiring only people you know, ask yourself: Would that really be acting within your integrity? 

Yes, hiring those you know might be more comfortable. You already trust and understand them, and know you’ll get good work. But wouldn’t it be more in your integrity to go outside of the box and see what other candidates might have to offer? Ones who haven’t been given a chance by other employers, but who might be an even better fit for your business?

That is acting in integrity when you think of the bigger picture.

On the other hand, I also want you to examine your core values. Maybe they’re not the same anymore — or maybe you’re realizing the values you set for yourself were just left over from a coach or exercise you did that no longer fits your brand. 

For example, if one of your values is beauty, but your idea of beauty is only relative to what you subjectively consider beautiful (i.e. beautiful design or beautiful fashion), that value easily falls apart as you work toward socially conscious practices. For example, this might play out by directing how employees dress to fit your standard of “beauty” — and that’s not very socially conscious. These types of businesses are repeating patterns that have forced marginalized communities to dress, act, and speak a certain way for centuries. 

Be open to confronting your values, deconstructing them, and potentially unlearning. Once you’ve found values that align with where you and your business are now — and what you’ve learned along the way — it’s easier to act on them. Use them as a guidepost for making decisions.

Listen to and learn from the BIPOC community

If you were to only take away one thing from this list, I honestly think this would be the most important one to go with. 

Listen and learn from the BIPOC community. 

Most of the capitalist, corporate workplace and traditional business structures have been built around the white male “standard.” So when you’re on the road to becoming a more socially conscious business, don’t just learn from white people (like me). 

Make sure you are, first and foremost, listening to the BIPOC community. Go on Instagram. Learn from and PAY Black educators and folks with marginalized identities for their expertise. Don’t simply accept their free labor — they’re doing a lot of work, and it’s important to monetarily recognize that. 

If you’re looking for a great place to start discovering BIPOC educators, I have a list of resources here. 

BONUS TIP: Start where you are

It doesn’t matter whether your business is a one-person show, if you have 5 employees, or if you have a hundred. There is always something you can do to implement socially conscious practices into your business — you get to define what that looks like.

If part of your socially conscious efforts involves making new hires and you want to bring diversity and inclusion into your hiring practices, I have a free guide to diversity in hiring practices that you can find here.