George Beall — January 31, 2018 Social consciousness is defined as the awareness of important social issues, but awareness isn’t enough. Simply being aware of an issue will not change it, you have to take action. While many companies and individuals have become more aware of the social issues we face, and while some are taking action and working toward a better society, we still need more to get involved.
Becoming more socially conscious and involved has a lot of benefits – it’s not just about fulfilling a moral obligation. Businesses don’t have to give back at their own expense, there are many rewards and reasons that your business should be more socially conscious.
- You will get tax breaks. When you choose to donate or make charitable contributions, you become eligible for tax breaks that can make a big difference. Hopefully tax breaks wouldn’t be your main driving factor for making your business more socially conscious, but it’s definitely an aspect that factors in.
- Consumers will pay for it. As consumers become better educated and more aware of social issues across the world, they become more conscientious about where the products they consume come from and what impact those products have on different economies. Consumers are willing to pay a higher price for products that were sourced responsibly, with social consciousness in mind – conflict-free diamonds and fair-trade coffee are a couple of examples.
- Employees will support you. Just like consumers prefer businesses who sell ethical and responsible products, employees are drawn to companies who are socially conscious and working to make a difference. They want to be a part of something that is working on changing the world and so, if your business is socially conscious, employees will back and support you and potential employees will be drawn to your company.
- It will put you above the competition. It’s important to make sure your business stands out from the competition and there are a number of things you can do that set you apart, but being social conscious and becoming involved in social projects is an especially great way to stand out from the competition and set yourself apart. Not only does it differentiate you but it shows your business’s desire and dedication to making a difference.
- It attracts investors. Just like consumers and employees are more drawn to businesses that are socially conscious and responsible, investors tend to be more interested as well. If you’re in need of capital or funding for a project, you will be able to attract more investors if you’re socially conscious and involved than you would if you were not.
- It provides opportunities. Being socially conscious allows you to provide opportunities not only to your community but to the nation and the world. Whether you host a fundraiser to earn money to sponsor an educational trip for students or you choose to source supplies locally and help create jobs here in the US, social consciousness and efforts can create a number of opportunities.
- It opens up opportunities. Not only do social consciousness efforts provide opportunities for others, they also open up opportunities for you and your business. By getting involved in different projects throughout the world, you get to make connections with a variety of different people which could lead to partnerships and/or more business for you and your company down the road.
- You can get creative with it. Social consciousness covers a variety of different subjects. You don’t have to just reduce your carbon footprint to be socially conscious and you don’t have to host traditional fundraisers. You can get creative and put on events or make contributions in ways that nobody else has. Your creativity will also go towards helping you stand out from the competition.
- It will get you more involved in your community. As you become more socially conscious, you’ll also become more involved in your community. Getting involved in and contributing to your community makes for great PR, but it also gives you the opportunity to see what’s lacking and come up with a plan to help improve the place you love and live in.
- There’s a widespread need for it. Whether you want to start with your small community or make an impact worldwide, the need for social consciousness and change is widespread and far reaching. You can make a difference by reducing your carbon footprint or sponsoring a local charity drive. You can send employees to a third world country to help build houses or you can collect clothes for those in need. No matter where you are or where you can be, you can make a difference.
- You’re morally obligated. Although the driving reason behind being more socially conscious and making a difference shouldn’t be a moral obligation, there still is one. Imagine what our world would be like if nobody stepped up and everybody used up resources and denied people in need the help they ask for. It probably wouldn’t be a very wonderful world to live in.
- It really makes a difference. It might be difficult to see the impact that your business’s social consciousness efforts make when looking at it on a grand scale, but when you look at it from a closer perspective, it makes all the difference in the world. Think about how much that donation means to the family with the son who is battling cancer – it probably means everything. And, although reducing your carbon footprint may not make a visible difference right now, in the long run it could make a bigger difference than you can imagine.
In what ways is your business already socially conscious? What do you plan to do to become even more socially conscious and responsible?
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