Small Business Owner, think CSR isnt for you - think again says Nick Venning Birmingham Forward Board Director and Marketing Director Global Industries PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Nick Venning, Birmingham Forward Board Director
The argument for the commercial value of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) hasn't changed much over the last five years, but what has changed is the number of outlets available for businesses to do it
As an SME, you may not think that a CSR programme is that high
up on the agenda, but with all the business advantages of getting
involved, why wouldn't you?
With that in mind, here are my top three reasons as to why your
business should have a CSR strategy:
1. Let's face it; business doesn't have the shiniest reputation
at the moment, particularly those in the banking sector. A healthy
dose of CSR can change the mindset of a consumer from brand
aggressor to brand advocate. In essence, CSR is great brand
polish!
2. Training is expensive. All too often, it tends to be specific
to narrow technical needs and fails to develop those softer,
interpersonal skills that are so desirable in great leaders and
good managers. Getting your staff to work or volunteer outside the
business (and their comfort zone) can bring a new and fresh
perspective. CSR can help your employees stand in other people's
shoes, which is invaluable in the business world. Most of all, it's
cheap and a great practice ground for employees to learn from their
mistakes.
3. Clearly, good CSR activity has a third, positive impact on
your business - ncreasing profitability. Measures such as turning
down the heating or double sided printing obviously reduce
overheads, the cost of doing business and your carbon footprint,
adding to profit pound for pound.
However, there's one other point that I feel is important to
make. We're all human beings and we want to make a difference in
life. For most, this is a rare opportunity, particularly for those
who work in larger organisations. Volunteering to help a charity is
an easy way to make a big difference.
In my view, many of the country's most intractable social
problems are best solved at the grass roots level, by small groups
of social entrepreneurs who tackle the issue because they care and
have real motivation, not because 'it's their job'.
Finally, let's forget all the rational arguments. There is such
a thing as a moral imperative. We should do these things because we
can and because, deep down, we know its right!
|
About the Author
Nick Venning is a Birmingham Forward board director and
Marketing Director for Global Industries at PricewaterhouseCoopers
with worldwide responsibility for strategic positioning and
business development in key supply chain sectors including
automotive, energy utilities and mining, industrial manufactures,
pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and retail services. He has been with PricewaterhouseCoopers over 20 years and is a
member of the firm's Global Marketing Executive Group. Prior to
joining PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nick worked in industry (Dunlop and
Foseco) and in management consulting (Coopers & Lybrand).
Nick is well known as a champion of the voluntary sector; he
currently chairs The Prince's Trust Birmingham Development
Committee, St Basils Fundraising & External Relations Committee
and NICE Business Advisory Committee. He was joint founder of
Thrive, Birmingham's Corporate Social Responsibility Forum. In
earlier times, Nick was the first Chairman of Birmingham Future and
a member of Birmingham Forward's Marketing & Communications
Committee. He is a participant in the joint Birmingham
Forward/Marketing Birmingham Ambassadors Programme. Originally a
graduate in Chemistry, Nick also holds MBA and PhD degrees from
Aston University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Marketing.
|