Are your values driving your business?

By Caterina Rando · Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

This past weekend I attended the Bay Area Business Woman Newspaper Expo, Workin’ It! http://www.babwnews.com

It was held at what I thought ahead of time was an unlikely location – Uptown Body & Fender in Oakland. Turns out the place is perfect, with its brick walls and clean floors. Owner Giovanna Tanzillo has a great event space that you can rent out.

I so enjoy these networking events where I meet new people and run into women I have known in the Bay Area Business community for many years now. Are you getting out there and meeting enough people these days to expand and keep up your network?

One of the highlights of the afternoon was hearing Meagan Connolly Haupt, owner of C5 custom jewelry http://www.c5company.com Meagan talked about the importance of making sure your business reflects your values. Her other two tips for business success were to be sure to take time to plan and to get out there and network.

Her company is one of about 20 jewelry companies in the United States that creates recycled and sustainable jewelry. That means when her jewelry is made it leaves a small carbon footprint, compared to the tons (I can not remember if she said 2 or 10 tons) of mining waste that is created for each gold ring we put on our fingers. Wow! That is a shocker.

I predict that buying only sustainable jewelry which also includes gems made in a lab instead of mined, will be the next big consumer trend, just like we no longer buy animal furs or aerosol products and the latest trend you are now seeing is organic fabrics being promoted and used in clothing manufacturing.

Hanes Sleep Shirt

By the way my new favorite thing is my Hanes® Organically Grown Sleep Shirt, that is so soft you will love how it feels against your skin. I got mine from my Avon lady, Dortha Hise http://www.youravon.com/dhise. The sleep shirt is on sale right now.

In our business, and with our consumer spending dollars, it is so important to be sure that the way we do business and the way we spend our own money reflects who we want to be in the world. Equally important is to be aware of the environmental impact of the way we do business. I encourage you to be conscious of what you promote with the consumer dollars you spend. The fur industry tanked because people stopped buying furs.

Something to think about.  Anything for you to do?

 

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