Positive Power of Principled Profit
Volume 5, Number 1—September, 2007

Positive Power Spotlight September 2007: Inkjet Solutions

I've known about inkjet and toner cartridge recycling businesses for more than a decade, and never paid them much mind. But when I met Karl Tur, of Inkjet Solutions, at a Chamber of Commerce mixer, I was impressed that the first thing this young man said to me, before he knew anything about my background, was about the positive environmental impact we could all have by recycling our cartridges—before he even mentioned the price benefits. His reasons for starting this business, with locations in Amherst and Northampton, Massachusetts, are all about doing something right for the earth. When I walked into the store he's just opened in Northampton, I was once again impressed with this small company's commitment to the environment, as that was the key message of many of the posters and other point-of-sale marketing materials. Also, the website not only has a page about the environment as its third link, but devotes most of the space on the who-we-are page to its environmental mission as well.

And again, when I had him as a guest on my one-hour radio show, he spent at least half the time talking about the environment.

At my current age of 50, I find it very exciting to find 20-somethings who are starting businesses with a wider social agenda, and not just to get rich. I'd expect him, as the old Quaker saying goes, to "do well by doing good."

Another Recommended Book: The Organic Entrepreneur: Cultivating the Conscious Capitalist by Maxine Hyndman

Failure as compost—I think that may be the best business metaphor I've ever come across! If you're a non-gardener—compost is all the rotting bits of old food scraps, spoiled vegetables, and so forth. It's not very appealing in its early stages, but as it ages, it turns into the most fertile soil imaginable. It also works well with her philosophy of reaching for the truth, even when it's not pleasant.

While that's my favorite metaphor in The Organic Entrepreneur, there's plenty more: the entrepreneur as alchemist, the business as a habitat.

Other gardening principles Hyndman incorporates into her business philosophy—the book is organized into psychological business "seasons"—include patience, integrity, and a Green sensibility. Plus seven principles for "spirits seeking human experiences"—a nifty reversal—along with more principles for understanding business as Tao, and for finding abundance in your core principles.

This book is very much in tune with the philosophy I express in Principled Profit: Marketing that Puts People First—though it's more about the overall business concept and less hands-on. A very nice complement to Principled Profit, and recommended for anyone struggling to find and express their values within business.