Young Entrepreneur Business Ethics - Part 2

Last post I started discussing business ethics for young entrepreneurs. The things that I talked about were the things that everyone should be doing, regardless of whether you are a young entrepreneur, an "old" entrepreneur, or an employee. Core ideals like treating others with respect, telling the truth, and taking responsibilities for your actions are the things that everyone in society can do to help make the world a better place.

But as a young entrepreneur (and an entrepreneur in general), I think that we can do more. Do you HAVE to do more? No. Does it make you a bad person if you don't? Far from it. But I think that sometimes we are so focused on our bottom line that we forget that we can also use our "powers" for the greater good of society. As entrepreneurs we have a great deal of skills that we take for granted. It's completely fine to be using those skills for our own benefit, but we can also use them for the benefit of others.

We have the power to create a different future for this country. As entrepreneurs we have the wherewithal and resources to help drive changes to help make this world a better place for the people around us who are less fortunate. Not everyone can do that. It's much easier for us to start a non-profit organization than it is for the average person.

We have a customer base that will listen to us. We can do things that will benefit both the business and society. For example, giving a portion of your revenue for a week to charity. Customers will respond to that. You may even get some positive PR. It will help your business in the long run, but more importantly it will help society. Average Joe can't do that.

I challenge you to do SOMETHING. Whatever you can. Maybe all that you have is a few hours a week to help out at the hospital or the homeless shelter. Don't dismiss that as not enough. It helps. Every little bit helps.

Now, I am certainly no saint and don't claim to be. I have not done enough in the past, and this post is a part of me trying to do more in the future. I know that people read this blog and I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to do so. I have a built-in audience of entrepreneurs that can make a difference and I want to make sure that I express how important I feel this is.

Later this year, I am hoping to donate 100% of SportsLizard.com's revenue for a month to a homeless shelter. I still have to work out a few of the details, but I am very optimistic. If not a month, I'll do a week. If not 100% I'll do 50% or 25%. But I will give something. Who knows, maybe I'll start a 'charity week' where each days proceeds go to a different charity during the first week of every month.

One of the things I am really challenging myself to do is to donate my time. It's easy to sign a check, but time is just as important as money. Being the one to cook a meal for someone who wouldn't have been able to eat that night is just as important, if not more important, than being the person who paid for the groceries.

If you are an entrepreneur, or thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, you have something to give. You have the basic needs met - food, water, clothing, and a roof over your head. There are people in the world that don't have those things. Let's do something about it.

As the late, great Roberto Clemente once said "If you have a chance to make life better for others and fail to do so, you are wasting your time on earth."