New York SBDC Research Network

From the New York Times : After Nazi-saluting white supremacists rioted in Charlottesville, Va. and President Trump dithered in his response, a chorus of business leaders rose up this past week to condemn hate groups and espouse tolerance and inclusion. And as lawmakers in Texas tried to restrict the rights of transgender people to use public bathrooms, corporate executives joined activists to kill the bill. These and other actions are part of a broad recasting of the voice of business in the nation’s political and social dialogue, a transformation that has gained momentum in recent years as the country has engaged in fraught debates over everything from climate change to healthcare... “In this maelstrom, the most clarifying voice has been the voice of business,” said Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation and a board member at PepsiCo. “These C.E.O.s have taken the risk to speak truth to power.”

From CBS News MoneyWatch : For those who aren't hip to Yiddish, the word mensch is the highest praise one can bestow on another person. It basically rolls all of the finest characteristics and aspirations of humanity into a convenient, punchy, one-syllable word. If someone describes you by saying "what a mensch!" you pretty much can't do better. And though the word originates from the German for "human being," your business can and should be mensch-like too. The general attributes of a mensch are absolute integrity, steadfast reliability and unfailingly high standards of behavior and character. In other words, a very solid citizen. If you believe, as I do, that genuine humanity is at the core of all great businesses, then a great business should aspire to these same qualities.

Turns out successful businesses aren't concerned only with their bottom line. . Ethisphere Institute , which compiled the list, says it based its rankings on the following factors: ethics and compliance programs; reputation, leadership and innovation; governance; corporate citizenship and responsibility; and culture of ethics. (VIA here .)

By Doug Caverly Complaints about contracts, customer service common There may be a handful of businesses out there that rely on solar power, possess their own water wells, and don't need phone lines or Internet. We applaud their independent spirit. But everybody else is stuck dealing with utility companies, and a new report from the Forum of Private Business indicates that the experience is less than pleasant for many firms. The FPB said in a statement, "A third (33%) of business owners surveyed by the Forum describe standards of customer service as 'poor' or 'very poor.' Many cite contractual issues - including the practice of rolling businesses over on to often more expensive contracts with little warning." Then the statement continued, "Just 11% believe utilities contracts are easy to understand, 35% think it is difficult to switch suppliers and 40% feel that contractual terms and conditions are 'poor' or 'very poor.' Al

Before any employee, even a part-time temporary student, begins working at an NYS SBDC office, he or she is required to sign a conflict of interest form that, among other things, promises confidentiality with regard to the clients the SBDC deals with. (Staff should expect to file an annual renewal of that document this week.) Doing business ethically is not just a theoretical good thing - it can be a very concrete good thing for your bottom line. Ethical business practices build long-term trust and relationships with customers and partners. The Business Ethics Links Library from UC Boulder provides links to businesses that are operating ethically. Use the navigation at the left of page to find company codes of ethics, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and more. These provide insight into specific companies, and may be used as a roadmap for building your own ethical business plan. If you need help with that plan, or have questions about business ethics, check out the Hill L

Joel Saltzman is a "speaker, facilitator, consultant, and creator of the 'Shake That Brain!' system - for innovative solutions and transformative thinking." He has an entertaining newsletter that one can subscribe to for free. It's from that website that the title article came from. It could have just as easily come from his Shake That Ethics Brain blog, which is described as "Business Ethics Made FUN, EASY and PRACTICAL."