It's funny - the purpose of business enterprise in a society is to make life better. Otherwise, why allow it a central role? But we divorce its practice from any human element, and then wonder why people are skeptical of capitalism.
One of our company principles at BuyBox is "We win together with our partners." Defining both those we buy from in addition to those we sell to in this way helps us make sure that in each business relationship we are reminded to treat others the way we would want to be treated. Thanks for the good reminder.
Good stuff here, Jack. Quick note: I heard Dennis Prager talk about the immorality of a common practice, i.e., going into a retail store to gain product knowledge, testing, etc. from the in-store folks, and then walking out to go order it online. His point was that value given must be exchanged, and that we cannot take advantage of others in our purchasing process. Aligns with what you so well wrote today. Keep 'em coming.
The example you give is a pet peeve of mine. As a former owner of a local business, it offended me when people unthinkingly took advantage in this way. Whenever I shared this perspective with a friend, though, I generally got a wide-eyed "what do you mean?" reaction. They had never thought of it in right/wrong terms before. It made me ask myself, what are the things I do that I've never thought seriously about before?
Jack, I remember sitting in finance class in college in the late 80's. We were taught to manage accounts payable to maximize cash flow: to pay just before the 'net 30' kicked in. I wish those lectures had been informed by this post. The cultivation of integrity and trust are such valuable assets for long term success in business...and life.
It's funny - the purpose of business enterprise in a society is to make life better. Otherwise, why allow it a central role? But we divorce its practice from any human element, and then wonder why people are skeptical of capitalism.
One of our company principles at BuyBox is "We win together with our partners." Defining both those we buy from in addition to those we sell to in this way helps us make sure that in each business relationship we are reminded to treat others the way we would want to be treated. Thanks for the good reminder.
Good stuff here, Jack. Quick note: I heard Dennis Prager talk about the immorality of a common practice, i.e., going into a retail store to gain product knowledge, testing, etc. from the in-store folks, and then walking out to go order it online. His point was that value given must be exchanged, and that we cannot take advantage of others in our purchasing process. Aligns with what you so well wrote today. Keep 'em coming.
The example you give is a pet peeve of mine. As a former owner of a local business, it offended me when people unthinkingly took advantage in this way. Whenever I shared this perspective with a friend, though, I generally got a wide-eyed "what do you mean?" reaction. They had never thought of it in right/wrong terms before. It made me ask myself, what are the things I do that I've never thought seriously about before?
Jack, I remember sitting in finance class in college in the late 80's. We were taught to manage accounts payable to maximize cash flow: to pay just before the 'net 30' kicked in. I wish those lectures had been informed by this post. The cultivation of integrity and trust are such valuable assets for long term success in business...and life.
Good one Jack... and I've seen that in action with you... thanks!
Thanks Art - much appreciated