Westen MacIntosh – Co-Founder at Virtue

How to make the right impact

In recent years we have seen a lot of emphasis on how a business can reduce the negative impact it has on the planet. From plastic offsetting to redesigning your website to reduce its carbon emissions. There are a ton of ways to make your business more sustainable. Yet, less effort has been placed on the positive impact a business can have on the world. 

More businesses are choosing to align with impact partners and charities so they can be a net positive for the planet. Businesses now have limitless options to choose from, they can plant a tree with every order or fundraise for a local animal rescue. The hard part is for a business is to determine what impact to make.

When trying to find the right impact partner, here are a few things to consider:

Why make a positive impact?

Every organisation wants to be a force for good, but the reasons for doing so will differ from business to business. Some want to better align with consumer trends, while others might want to use their business to give back during a crisis. Different goals will dictate not only which type of impact partners you work with, but how you choose to support them.

For example, businesses looking to align with customer values might focus on macro trends like sustainability – leading them to long-term partnerships with a global charity protecting vital rainforest habitat. However, a business reacting to a crisis would likely support a more local organisation supporting earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria as part of a short-term campaign.

Who cares about the Impact?

The values of a business owner and its employees are vitally important when looking to make an impact. However, for most businesses, their customers should be the primary stakeholder to consider. In recent years consumers have been choosing to purchase from businesses that align with their customer values. Making a positive impact by supporting values customers care about is a great way to show them that you are on the same page. 

Many assumptions can be made about the values of customers, however, it is always easiest to go straight to the horse’s mouth. Simply by asking a question on Instagram stories a business can gain some great insights as to what your customers care about.

What Impact do I want to make?

It is important to consider what type of impact you want to make with your business. Depending on the organisation you choose to support, donations can make a varying amount of impact.

For example – a £100 donation could have the following impact:

• Offsetting 62.5kg of plastic with Seven Clean Seas
• Protecting 1 acre of environmental habitat with World Land Trust
• Provide 1428 meals to children in need with Mary’s Meals
• Educating 10,000 young people with a pocket-sized info card on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer

Where does the impact happen?

Depending on your industry it is important to understand who is involved from the earliest levels of your supply chain to your final customer.

A local coffee shop might have a strong connection to the community within a 10-minute walk, but it also has a heavy reliance on coffee farmers located over 5,000 miles in Guatemala. Supporting organisations with an impact in either of those locations could be a good fit for a business.

When should I make an impact?

Timing can be very important when deciding to make an impact – especially if you are a business looking to support over a short-term campaign. Giving is a valuable tool year-round – especially when considering the numerous awareness days throughout the year. 

However, for a business looking to make a positive impact in the mental health space, a timely campaign during Mental Health Awareness Week is an excellent time to engage your dormant customers and start giving back. 

Want to start working with an agency that helps you do good? Get in touch with us today. 

Written by our Guest Author – Westen MacIntosh, Co-Founder at Virtue. To find out more, visit Virtue Shopify Integration here.