Positive Power of Principled Profit
Volume 2, Number 2 - November, 2004

Positive Power Spotlight: Magazines for Ethical Business

With the holidays bearing down on us, here's a gift idea: a subscription to one of the various magazines helping to change the culture by showing us how to incorporate ethics, principles, and a desire to change the world into our work. These are a few that I know about; this isn't intended to be a comprehensive list. Note that these are *not* affiliate links. I don't benefit in any way. Of course, if you want to add a copy of Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First into your holiday gift bags, I certainly don't object.

In alphabetical order:

Business Ethics, http://www.business-ethics.com

The granddaddy of magazines in this niche, publishing since 1988, and very well-respected. Latest issue includes such articles as "Building the Life-Centered Economy" (how state treasurers can support community investment), and "Conscious Growth" (how and why one company decided *not* to grow too large).

2845 Harriet Avenue Suite 207, PO Box 8439, Minneapolis MN 55408, 612/879-0695, Fax 612-879-0699

Ethix, http://www.ethix.org/

"Promoting the integration of good business, appropriate technology, and sound ethics."

More of an international perspective; the most recent issue focused heavily on Asia. Among several Asia-related stories: an interview with the owner of some American fast-food franchises in Malaysia, discussing how he influences his customers to make healthier choices, and how he as a Christian works in a Muslim business environment...the chairman of China's third-largest steel company, discussing the switch from an authoritarian to an open and egalitarian corporate culture, and the voluntary steps his company has taken to reduce pollution over the last ten years. Each issue also offers book reviews and a Q&A covering an ethical dilemma.

IBTE (Institute for Business Technology & Ethics), P.O. Box 50474, Bellevue WA 98015, 425-269-6537, contact@ethix.org

Inspire Your World, http://www.inspireyourworld.com

"Celebrating the people, companies and causes that inspire us to give back."

Only in its second issue, this magazine mixes celebrity actors and politicians (in the first two issues, these included actress Angelina Jolie, musician Bruce Springsteen, Yankees manager Joe Torre, and politicians Bill Clinton and Rudy Giuliani) supporting their favorite causes with plenty of stories of unsung companies that are quietly making a difference. Among the stories in the second issue: stories about roll-up-your-sleeves-to-help vacations both in the US and abroad, a clothing and shoe company CEO who combines edgy advertising and a deep commitment to service, and the star-studded lower Manhattan film festival whose mission is framed in the context of rebuilding neighborhoods shattered by 911.

BizEx USA, LLC, 10 East Willow Street, Millburn, NJ 07041, 973-788-2000

Worthwhile, http://www.worthwhilemag.com

"Work with purpose, passion and profit."

Even newer, this magazine has published one issue so far. Interestingly enough, the same clothing and shoe entrepreneur is featured, but the story emphasizes a different side of his volunteerism. The focus is a mixture of profile and how-to, with articles like "When Bad Companies Happen to Good People" (on building back your career following a work experience with a company that turns out to be a bad-boy poster child, like Enron) and "Eight Principles to Drive Profit Without Selling Out." Some well-known names also, but more from the worlds of academia and business than the entertainment industry (although there is a profile of Robert Redford): business guru Tom Peters is a columnist; theologian Matthew Fox is interviewed.

1201 Peachtree Street, Suite 1718, Atlanta, GA 30361, info@worthwhilemag.com

Another Recommended Book: "The Personal Touch" by Terrie Williams

When I heard Terrie Williams, publicist to the stars, speak at a conference, I had to go out and buy one of her books, "The Personal Touch: What You Really Need to Succeed in Today's Fast-Paced Business World."

The book was published back in 1994, but her advice is still as fresh, useful--and *underutilized* as it was the day she wrote it.

It's about the way she and other successful entrepreneurs and champions of social causes (including many of her entertainment-industry superstar clients) built their businesses or created results for their agenda--by being nice. Deeply nice. By going above and beyond what anyone would reasonably expect them to do.

While she doesn't position it as an etiquette manual, that's essentially what it is. With step-by-step specific tips that prove, over and over again, that little touches like thank-you notes, holding the door, and jotting a quick note to recognize someone's accomplishment (even if it's not someone you know) pay enormous dividends.

In other words, this book is totally in keeping with the principles of business growth that I discuss in PrinProfit. While Terrie is also very aware and proud of her cultural identity, and positions herself as a role model and mentor to black youth, I see this book as having wider currency, and helpful to anyone who wants to succeed while still maintaining one's humanity.

If you'd like to buy this book, please follow this link to buy from a BookSense independent bookseller:

http://www.booksense.com/index.jsp?affiliateId=FrugalFun

Or this link to buy from Amazon: