Business can do good
Millions of people already make a living doing it. They run cafés that pour ethically sourced coffee, bakeries that hire people other employers overlook, print shops that plant trees and other businesses that spend their money to give back to their communities.
Business Unusual is a global campaign that brings their stories to people.
Why it matters
Bills keep going up while wages stay where they are. Every summer seems hotter than the last, every river is dirtier than it was. Meanwhile, local businesses close as big companies post record profits. That’s business as usual: built to keep growing and to hand more to shareholders every year, whatever it costs the rest of us and the planet. It can feel like there’s no other way to do business, but there is.
A different economy already exists, made up of businesses that exist to give back to their communities. For them, purpose and profit were never a trade-off, because doing good is written into their DNA. They go by many names, from social enterprises and cooperatives to fair trade businesses and steward-owned companies, but they all put people and planet first.
Most people have never heard of this economy. Business Unusual is here to show them that the solution doesn’t need inventing. It’s already open for business, and there’s a place in it for everyone.
Who’s behind it
Business Unusual is stewarded by the Social Enterprise World Forum and was created in consultation with more than 70 organisations around the world. It’s many local voices telling one shared story.
Join us
Business Unusual launches on Social Enterprise Day (19 November)