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