Small business, big impact: how to grow your business’ social impact

Today I want to dig into how we can use our business for impact without getting completely overwhelmed. There are obviously a million different ways that we can make a difference, which is probably one of the reasons why we often don't do the work. If we don't run an impact-led business (or so we think) from the beginning it might feel like it isn't our place and what we do doesn't matter.

However, we don't need the title of social entrepreneur, impact leader, ecopreneur” or changemaker to do something that matters. We are all needed on this journey towards a healthier planet and humanity. Often we have skills or connections that are too obvious for us to realize that we can create impact with.

I want to encourage all the small business owners out there, to look through this list and then sit with it for a day or two. What are the topics and causes that light a fire in you? Is there a way that you can use what you already have to contribute towards that cause? No cause is less or more important than another, which is also a trap that is easy to fall into. For example, when thoughts like “there is no point for me to volunteer at the long-term care home in my community because I’m not part of eradicating poverty” show up, put them to rest, because no act is too small and we are all needed.

1. Gifting 

Are you ever sending gifts in your business or in your personal life for that matter? If so, getting your gifts from an impact led business is a great thing. Instead of bringing flowers to the dinner party, buying chocolate for the teacher at the end of term or buying swag for your clients I have some options for you. How about getting some beautiful homeware gifts made in the Central African Republic from social enterprise Ndara Ti Beafrika? Or what would it look like if you did all your business gifting through platforms like Gifts for Good where you can shop by cause and all the products are also held to a high eco standard? Maybe for the next wedding you attend instead of bringing a gift you can use the registry Gravy to give towards a cause or donate your own time or skills towards something that the couple needs. 

2. Everyday essentials

There are things that we tend to use on the daily in our businesses like stationary, water bottles, and coffee. As business owners we do drink a lot of coffee & write down a lot of ideas- right!? So next time when you are in need of new notebooks, business cards, pens or pencils why not get a plantable ones from Left- handesign. Plantable? Yes you heard it right, so when you are done with your pencil you can plant it directly into the earth, and a short few weeks later some spinach will sprout for you to put on your plate. Perhaps source your coffee from Rutasoka, a business that sources their coffee beans from the founder's native Kongo. Not only do they provide work to the local community, they also support health clinics, fair prices and good working conditions. Want a new water bottle? How about one made from sugarcane that also gives back just like Worthy’s? Another amazing product that I stumbled across recently is Lydy. A reusable silicone coffee lid that fits multiple sized cups. Keeping a lid in your pocket for when the reusable coffee cup is inconvenient to bring might be an idea. 

3. Donate money

Can you build into your life and business a habit of giving a few bucks away annually? Again, a little goes a very long way. For just around $5 you can provide clean water to one person for a year in the Central African Republic through Water for Good. A donation of $2 to the Against Malaria Foundation buys a net that protects two people when they sleep at night from the bites of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, that would otherwise cause severe illness, or worse. If you struggle with knowing where your money makes the most impact you can look up organizations like Give Well that searches and vets for the charities that save or improve lives the most per dollar. 

4. Donate time

This is sometimes the most obvious but hardest to recognize. Are you a lawyer and can perhaps do 10 hours of pro bono work a year? If you work as a therapist could you give your phone number to someone in your community that struggles with mental health? As a homemaker can you perhaps arrange a playdate with the child of a single parent working full time? Can you volunteer as an assistant coach at the local soccer team? Or this is one of my personal favorites, if you are a gardener, can you grow flowers in your garden and then give them to your local community and support the Growing Kindness Project of bringing back kindness into communities? 

5. Product sourcing & design

In an ideal world the products we buy and use would be from a factory that pays fair wages and has great working conditions. They would be made in a circular manner and modular, so that we can reuse, service and make them into other products at the end of their life cycle. The material used would be mainly recycled and raw materials would come from places such as the Fair Cobalt Alliance, which is a multi-stakeholder action platform launched in August 2020 that brings together actors from across the entire cobalt mineral supply chain to provide an answer to increasing scrutiny on Artisanal and small scale cobalt mining and the Democratic of Congo (DRC) mining sector. The Democratic Republic of Congo has long been the world's largest cobalt producer, accounting for 73% of global output in 2022. What is cobalt used for? Mainly in the rechargeable battery industry, so in our phones and electric cars there is plenty of cobalt. Perhaps it is too much to expect this kind of transparency in all the products we use and buy, but can we try just a little harder to find the Fairphones and alike in the world? 

My hope is that this list has inspired you to take action on the smallest thing, because no act is too small and we are all needed. I believe you and I both care, we care about how we spend our days, how we show up for each other, and for the planet. We understand the importance of a sustainable business model and know that we can be a part of it. Let's do this! 

Xx
Alexandra