Being Natural/ Be About It Part 2: To Be or Not To Be

To Be or Not To Be, is that really the question?  We aspire for our bodycare businesses to BE green.  For some of us, that may be pretty easy since most handmade bodycare products' ingredients come from herb gardens, grocery or craft stores.  But how will our everyday lives effect our bodycare businesses and visa versa.  I mean the day to day practices and habits we've acquired, cleaning habits, money management habits, organizational habits, eating and trash disposal habits can carry over in all facets of your lives, including in our businesses.  So how Green are we truly?

   It is no secret that one's "issues" at home, how ever good or bad will eventually pop up at work, school, church, and yes in our business.  I mean since it is our creation, it is ultimately a direct reflection of us.  So any unresolved or unchanged undesirable habits we've acquired over the years will naturally seep into the day to day bustle of running a business.

   Now all judgment aside, no one is or ever will be perfect, especially when it comes to running a successful biz.  I just think its beneficial to understand our own quirks so we'll know where to put our energy and when to seek help.  For instance, what does it mean to be green.  Is it enough to have natural and safe ingredients or can we incorporate sustainable packaging, label printing, and waste management.  I think the natural flow of things will allow an organic progression for all of our businesses to meet up to their ultimate potential always in accordance to our own evolution in personal growth.

Be About It

     Creating a business that puts people and the planet before profit may initially sound contradictory.  I mean the main goal of a business is to turn a profit, right?  Well, I beg to differ.  That may be one of the main goals but lets be honest with ourselves.  Most businesses start off as an interest that turns into a hobby and then turns into a passion.  Then once family and friends catch on and love the product and people from church and the kid's school get word of your ingenious talents, the next thing you know, you are up to your eyeballs in orders.  And that's when you finally realize that, "hey, I've actually got something pretty good that I could potentially make a living at."  Now in that moment, is where the true learning curve begins.  Not only do we start fretting about business plans, financing, insurance, legal protection, taxes, marketing and advertising......(I could go on all day, but I'll spare you), but we also have in the back of your minds that this business should look out for the well-being of its customers, employees, its environment and the effect it has on the world in general AND at the same time paying our bills and helping us (the owners) to invest in our own retirement and children's college funds and health plans, etc, etc, etc.
      Some business moguls would say that IDEALISM has  no place in the world of checks and balances and a world in the Free Market.  Well I say that businesses are always in a great position to evaluate not only the market and the effects of marketing and advertisement campaigns, but also in observing and understanding the effects of a free market and most specifically, the day to day grind of  a profitable business on it's people and community.  To me that is Realism and very much attainable. 
     Now you don't have to be in the health field, and environmental or social scientist to create a business that puts the health of the planet, people, and even pets first.  The same passion for your now business or aspiring business that pushed you to keep creating and believing in your vision, is the same seed of innovation and ingenuity that can bring your green ideas into reality.  Nurturing those seeds will allow your biz to grow not just by talking about it, but BEING about it.  A great book that talks about this very process is called Creating An Herbal Bodycare Business, by Sandy Maine.  I highly recommend it.