Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2022)
BUSINESS COMMENT COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL JULy 2022 • 13 Should your business take a political position? By Jessica Newhall Clatsop Community College Small Business Development Center A notable and sometimes controversial Aus- trian economist Ludwig von Mises once quoted, “The mixing of politics and busi- ness not only is detrimental to politics, as is fre- quently observed, but even much more so to busi- ness.” While Von Mises’s words provide the kind of black-and-white guidance that can provide reas- suring clarity, they perhaps reflect more his era (1881-1973) than today, where viral social media campaigns and “vote with your wallet” efforts can shift consumer sentiment overnight. The reality is that in today’s world, navigating the do’s and don’ts of business and politics is far more nuanced and requires a thoughtful approach. As you evaluate whether your company should take a stance on a political or social issue, here are some things to ask yourself: • How does this fit in with my company’s mission and vision? Your company’s mission is its reason for being and its vision is how you can get there. At its core, ask yourself why your company exists and who does it serve? By tak- ing a political stand or stance on a social issue, does this strengthen our ability to achieve our pur- pose, deliver our products or services and serve our customers? • Does this align with our core values? Renowned researcher, author and podcast host Brené Brown said “living into our values means that we do more than profess our values, we prac- Jessica Newhall tice them.” Your core values are three to five key tenets that are yours and your company’s nonnego- tiables and they can be used to help guide every- thing from hiring and firing decisions to whether to take a position on an issue. If you haven’t yet identified your core values, Brown has a great list on her “Dare to Lead” website (brenebrown.com/ resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values) • What is our brand promise? Consumers have a seemingly ever-increasing array of choices of where to buy goods and services and the need for a company to elevate itself above the competi- tion is incredibly important. Central to this is your brand promise — or how you communicate to your customers “why” they should buy from you. As Continued from Page 12 Clatsop WORKS updates counseling hours; 383 jobs cre- ated and retained; 241 wom- en-owned businesses supported; 180 minority-owned businesses served; 27 business starts; access to capital total was $6,208,000; increased sales of $4,672,000; 111 training workshops with 3,882 participants, top in the state of Oregon! We appreciate all the businesses served and the part- nerships we have built and con- tinue to grow. • The Clatsop SBDC team was selected for the President’s Award at Clatsop Community College at the college’s end of year cel- ebration on June 17. The entire team is very appreciative of pres- ident Breitmeyer’s selection that reflects the ongoing support given to the Clatsop County business community. • Clatsop WORKS sum- mer paid internship program has begun, with 31 interns hired throughout the county. Largest cohort we have ever had! • Employers this year repre- sent an attorney at law, automo- tive, construction and welding, wood products manufacturing, craft brewing and culinary, hos- pitality and tourism, government, administrative office and business, health care, veterinary, marketing, IT, real estate, library, conserva- tion/marine biology, law enforce- ment, public works and education. Kevin Leahy is the execu- tive director of Clatsop Economic Development Resources and the Clatsop Community College Small Business Development Cen- ter. Reach him at kleahy@clat- sopcc.edu or call 503-338-2402. you consider taking a public stance, ask yourself whether this aligns with your brand promise? This is especially important to consider with regards to your existing customers who are bought into your brand promise — will it turn them off or strengthen your bond with them? • Do I know what is at risk? Recently I received an email from a law firm in Portland whose newsletter I subscribe to because they offer a lot of affordable small-business legal ser- vices. In it, they took a very clear stance on a polit- ical and social issue that was important to them. In that email they stated “We’ve been told not to take a stand on this issue and others. That’s not only not productive for society, that’s not who we are. You may be looking for a law firm with differ- ent beliefs. Great, we are looking for clients who believe …” and they went on to reiterate their sup- port for their political belief. This clearly was an organization that knew they were taking a risk, cal- culated that risk and decided that there were either enough customers who would support them, or that losing some would be OK. Can you afford to lose income? Have you weighed the impact of mitigat- ing potential fallout? Or are you, like the law firm example, confident in your approach? • How does this align with my employee cul- ture? If you have employees that you are trying to retain or are looking to attract new employees, you will likely discover that your workplace culture is a key part of that. Will taking a political stance align with the values of your current employees? Can you afford to alienate any of them? Sometimes taking a position on an issue can strengthen your CEDR helped organize Asto- ria’s Communi- ty Livability Fo- rum in March. employee culture. A great example of this is the clothing company Patagonia. Their clear stance on climate activism is evident throughout their web- site including their “Careers” page where it states, “We’re looking for highly motivated, unconven- tional thinkers to join our mission. If you love big challenges, taking action and want to help preserve the wild places where we play, see our open jobs.” The truth is that in today’s economy, there is no black-and-white answer to the question on whether your company should take a stance on a politi- cal or social issue. Even a 2020 Harvard Business Review study that surveyed 168 managers across industries, as well as advanced MBA students, dis- covered that people are less swayed by corporate advocacy than has been widely reported — surpris- ing the researchers themselves! So, as we would counsel any business owner who comes into the Small Business Develop- ment Center asking for advice on this topic, first think through how doing so fits with your mission, vision, brand promise and culture and then take the action that you feel best supports your goals and comfort with risk. Jessica Newhall is the associate director of the Clatsop Community College Small Business Devel- opment Center. She can be reached at jnewhall@ clatsopcc.edu. ... Life Happens y We’re Here! That’s Wh Our friendly and dedicated Physicians and Physician Assistants are available for all of your routine healthcare needs, not just for emergency situations! If you have an on the job injury, suffered injuries in a car accident, or you are suffering from a headache, toothache, earache, backache, any illness or injury, are in need of a refill of your prescription medications, or even a sports physical or DOT physical, our dedicated staff is here to assist you! WE ARE OPEN Monday-Friday 7am to 7pm Saturday-Sunday 9am to 7pm We are located in the Park Medical Building East on Exchange Street. We accept most insurances, offer a cash discount and also accept the Oregon Health Plan and Medicare. 503-325-0333 2120 Exchange St. Suite 111, Astoria www.urgentcarenwastoria.com
