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Corporate Social Responsibility: 4 Myths Debunked!

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:34:20 +0000

The following is the second guest blog post in a two-part series on corporate social responsibility (CSR) by Jane Meier of Full Circle Partnerships. Jane will be presenting at our upcoming workshop, Doing Well While Doing Good: Demystifying CSR on Tuesday, May 11th. Get details and register at The Enterprising Moms.

Who has time or money for CSR? And what is it anyways? The following are four common myths about CSR – debunked!

Myth #1:
CSR stands for Customer Service Representative

It may, but it also stands for Corporate Social Responsibility — which was defined in the part one of this series. Simply put, it’s integrating your values into business practices.

Myth #2:
CSR takes too much time; I can’t squeeze in one more thing!

We’re all time-starved, but we’re Enterprising Moms and I KNOW if there’s one thing we universally love, it’s EFFICIENCY. Crafting a common-sense approach to sustainability and strategic community partnerships can accomplish many things at once:

conservation
marketing
business development
brand building & retention
competitive advantage over other businesses.

Myth #3:
We’re in a recession; people don’t really care if I’m integrating CSR into my business practices.

Oh, really? According to a Working Mother article, “2010 Best Green Companies for America’s Children,” Clorox scarfed up Burt’s Bees & created a new Greenworks green cleaning products line — the result: a 23% increase in sales, in a recession.

A recent Forbes article, “Mandatory Social Responsibility” discusses how social responsibility has become almost mandatory for companies, and that some companies such as Patagonia and The Body Shop actually have an appeal based on their “ethical” appeal to consumers.

Think it’s only for the big guys?

What about some local entrepreneurs: Seth Goldman & Honest Tea, and a couple of folks new on the scene with sustainable products: Lunch Skins, and Cattiwampus (proof that you can make money while investing in sustainability).

Myth #4:
I have to make money, right, before I can give it away?

True, part of businesses contribution to society is to make money, which gives them the resources to then give it away.

This myth perpetuates the belief that the only component of CSR is writing a check. Utilizing CSR can actually make or save you money by:

forming connections through reduced fee or pro-bono work
reducing shipping costs by reusing materials
decreasing business development expenses by marketing through the organizations with whom you partner.

You don’t have to expend financial resources to have some component of CSR, and by integrating it wisely into your business; you can actually help to make or save money!

So, now that you know why CSR is good for business, what should you do about it?

Register today for “Doing Well While Doing Good: Demystifying Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)” on Tuesday, May 11, where you’ll leave with concrete guidance on how to do well in your business while doing good in our community.

Jane Meier is marketing consultant who loves helping businesses integrate marketing with Corporate Social Responsibility. Whether seeking to build partnerships with non-profits, developing marketing strategy, or planning or implementing special events, clients hire Jane for her skills in partnership building, her attention to detail and passionate commitment to corporate social responsibility.

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Social Media Etiquette for Your Business

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:41:06 +0000

We’re pleased to share our first guest blog post by Enterprising Mom Eryn Gurnee Cadoff on using social media for business. If you’re going social, plan to join us on Tuesday, March 9th for our social media discussion and networking event. Get details and register today (early bird rate ends on 3/2).

by Eryn Gurnee Cadoff

As a Enterprising Mom – your time is valuable! After all, you’ve got a busy household to run, meals to cook, kids’ schedules to coordinate, laundry to do, and oh, yeah, a business! Whether you are a sole proprietor, run a franchise or direct selling business, or have a business with employees, entrepreneurial moms have only so many hours in a day, so you need to make the most of them.

Never fear – social media is here! You probably have a Facebook profile and a Linkedin profile as well, and some of you may even tweet. All three of these popular social networking sites serve a slightly different purpose, so here’s how I see them:

Facebook
These are the people you already know – a great way to connect and reconnect with present and past friends and acquaintances. You can also “friend” customers and clients you meet along the way.
Twitter
This is for the people you have yet to meet! It’s like a big cocktail party and it’s your job to meet people and engage in conversation with those that interest you.
Linkedin
This is a network comprised mainly of professionals and/or job seekers supporting one another in business.

Depending on what type of business you have and whether you are a service provider, a sales rep, etc., you may find one site more beneficial than another. But wherever you choose to connect with your clients/customers, there are some definite DO’s and DON’Ts:

Profile Picture / Avatar

DON’T have a picture of your dog, your child, something funny you saw that day, etc., as your profile picture.
DO have a profile picture of you, and make it a nice one, you might even want to consider hiring another Enterprising Mom (we’ve got a couple of photographers) to take a headshot of you. When people are doing business with you, they like to look you in the eye. They feel a lot more connected with those people online who have faces.

Update your “status” to keep your name out there

DO Provide good FREE valuable content that people appreciate
DO Post helpful information and links – especially anything you might be a subject-area expert on.
DON’T talk about your business all the time! This is a huge turn-off – people can defriend/unfollow/hide you in one click.

Be sure you engage with people and create a dialogue, instead of only talking about yourself. Make your posts about others, and become a matchmaker of sorts – give people helpful tips and refer business to others when you can. Think of social networking as the online equivalent of going to an in-person networking event – you wouldn’t just stand in a corner and shout at everyone who walks by “I sell ABC product!” “I’m the best at this!” “Buy from me!” Instead get to know people first and understand their needs! A great recipe for Social Media success – make your posts 80% about others, 20% about you.

It probably goes without saying, but….

When in doubt about a post, ask yourself: “would you want your mother/child/boss reading this?”
Remember, what you put on the web is permanent!

Follow these etiquette tips, and you’ll be on your way to being a social media star!

Eryn Gurnee Cadoff
Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot
Eryn discovered the incredible power and potential of social media while hiding out in her home office from her screaming kids. It’s probably been ~5 minutes since she commented on somebody’s status.

Connect with Eryn
Web Site | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

Interested in guest blogging for The Enterprising Moms? Please get in touch!

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The Enterprising Moms Expanding Reach in DC Metro Area

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:32 +0000

“The most inspiring thing about The Enterprising Moms is the people – smart, funny, talented, creative women with advice to share on organizing your work and your life,” says TEM member Catherine Petrini, Book Author.

It’s that sense of community and connection that’s at the heart of The Enterprising Moms. For some time now, we’ve gotten requests to bring that sense of connection that’s created by our in-person gatherings into new communities, and this month we’re answering those calls.

Most of our events have taken place in Alexandria and Arlington, but November will see The Enterprising Moms venturing into Fairfax County, Washington and Montgomery County. Get the full event schedule and register online today!

While many of these events are free of charge, in lieu of a registration fee, we’re requesting donations to support two local organizations renowned for their work in addressing the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens: The Carpenter’s Shelter and So That Others Might Eat.

You too can support these organizations by attending one of our events and contributing through TEM, or contribute directly via the sites above.

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