A salesman once told me he was amazed that a regional accountant he visited had a picture of John Howard on his desk. Amazed because, in his words, “why the hell would you alienate half of your potential clients? Simple maths”.
I have lived by this rule for a long time, keeping politics out of business, but I’ve realised of late that we do our clients, our communities, and the world, a disservice if we think of environmental issues as political. Most environmental issues stand on their own, based on facts.
The majority of people in the world want action, see this United Nations data, and I would bet the majority of your clients want it too. Sooner rather than later.
To attract good employees these days, especially younger, better-informed employees, you will do better if you let them know, publicly, that your values align.
Emerging, small to medium businesses, like yours, employ the most people, pay their taxes, and keep their profits in the country. It’s in our interest to encourage more innovation and forward-thinking in our communities.
Green jobs are the future, they need people, and they need smart people. Smart money knows this too.
I heard someone describe fossil fuel companies as selling ice cream from a truck on a beach when their fridge has broken down. They’re trying to sell it as quickly as possible because they know their time is up. It’s not an opportunity for the rest of us.
So be proud, say it proudly. Step boldly into the sunlight.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash