Conscious Capitalism - What's Bigger Than Making a Profit - Making a Difference

A business has a commitment to its stockholders to provide returns in the form of dividends and appreciation. I feel that if the business is solely focused on profits, it can miss out on others aspects of business opportunity.

​Growing up in a large family and playing a team sport, I have always been aware that my actions and behaviors have an impact on others, positive or negative. Now as a parent, I see it more than ever. As a dad I am very aware that it is not just my words, but more it's my actions that count the most. With this awareness I realize that I need to be a role model to help guide my kids in their development.

So how does this relate to business?

My business has a vision: to make a positive impact on the world, one house at a time.
It's my belief that we can live in a society that looks for a win/win - one of the many anecdotes I have embraced from my dad. Why can't we make a lot of money and help others at the same time? This is not a new concept and many businesses have adopted this and applied it in different ways. Triple Bottom Line is one way to help put focus on Corporate Social Responsibility.

Another is Conscious Capitalism, a concept originated by the co founder of Whole Foods Market, John Mackey, who describes it as  a “way of thinking about capitalism and business that better reflects where we are in the human journey, the state of our world today, and the innate potential of business to make a positive impact on the world.”

I resonate with this concept and have applied it to my business - one house at a time.

Our business is focused on areas in the US that have been in a depressed stage for many years and negatively impacted by global offshoring, banking regulations and corporate profit agendas.

By improving one house at a time, we can improve these areas, by providing a great house to live in, and offer the opportunity for home ownership. This in turn improves the sense of pride in the their home and then starts to be reflected in the greater community. Home ownership goes a long way to turn neighborhoods from being 'slum lord' environments to being clean, groomed and well maintained. The US has an average home ownership of 65%. In the areas that we are focused on, like the Mid-West, the home ownership is just 35%! When so many are renters, if the landlord is only focused on profits it means that there can be a lot of deferred maintenance - real estate speak for homes getting run down.

Utilizing the principles of Conscious Capitalism, we are helping life long tenants to live in a better home and have the opportunity to buy the home off us without banks being involved. The positive feedback from these people has been very inspiring, reinforcing that we are on the right path. Additionally we are helping other people put their retirement money and savings into a secure and generous income producing investment. For me and the team, we are excited to be helping these groups achieve their dreams and to be part of something that is making a difference.

How are you making a profit and making a difference?