Introduction to CSR: Can CSR promote your business development?

What is corporate social responsibility?

Corporate social responsibility is a business model that is committed to becoming a socially responsible organization. Develop strategies to deal with corporate social responsibility issues-leading to policy formulation and operational activities. The following factors represent some of the biggest influences on the formation of corporate social responsibility:

Recognition-CSR aims to check how your business appears in the world. What impact does your business have on mankind and the planet, and how can you solve more of the problems you are creating?

Changing views-Google is a well-known company that uses a "do not be evil" policy to propose a new responsible strategy that focuses on making positive changes.

Responding to public concerns-In recent years, there has been increasing pressure for companies to act in a socially responsible manner, and many companies have responded appropriately. A good example is Starbucks' commitment to reduce the use of plastic straws.

On an upward trend—in 2011, more than 97% of FTSE 100 companies reported some kind of corporate social responsibility strategy in their annual reports—up from 80% in 2007. This shows that corporate social responsibility is quickly becoming an important issue for all large enterprises.

Here are some of the most significant benefits of implementing a CSR strategy in your business, and inspire you through real-world examples:

Take care of the community

They say that charity starts with the family, and the CSR team at Molson Coors Canada will certainly not lose this sentiment. The company invested more in responsible drinking education and launched the TaxiGuy service, a driving service for those who exceed the limit and cannot drive home. They even paid for public transportation at the main locations on New Year’s Eve to ensure that everyone has the best time.

Great public shutdown meeting

Bees are vital to the world’s crops, but their numbers are declining. Considering the impact of their pollination service on the world's crops, this is a concern for everyone, including ice cream maker Haagen-Dazs. This iconic ice cream brand contains ingredients from bees in more than one-third of its flavors.

Haagen-Dazs' response has been Honey Bees activities for more than 10 years. The event has seen limited-run products on the shelves, and part of the sales profit has been donated to research this bee-specific issue. The move aroused great interest on social media, posting more than 640,000 tweets within 48 hours and raising $7,000 for their cause. For more than ten years, Haagen-Dazs has been helping these extraordinary pollinators.

Increase employee loyalty

Salesforce is a company that understands that donations are more than simply passing profits. As part of the Pledge 1% activity, the organization donates 1% of its profits, employee time, and equity to charities every year as part of its ongoing CSR activities. Pledge 1% invites all entrepreneurs and their companies to invest important resources (products, time and resources) to support the integration of philanthropy into their business from the early stages.

What does this mean in actual working hours and time? Every Salesforce employee has 6 days of full pay to work for the charity of their choice. This can be anything, from sitting in a charity shop to stepping out of the front line, providing services to the homeless or cleaning up natural dumps. This creates a bond between management and employees, which is the envy of many other technology companies.

Help you win new business

Customers and companies now want to know that they are working with responsible suppliers. They usually choose more ethical suppliers in the competition, even if the price is higher. This is especially true for ecologically conscious companies, because the future of our planet is a hot topic.

Passing the ISO 14001 certification can prove your commitment to green issues and develop processes to continuously reduce your waste and carbon footprint. Obtaining this certificate indicates compliance with environmental standards.

In addition, when you submit bids for certain contracts, it is a basic requirement to prove that your company is environmentally sensitive. Generally, companies with ISO 14001 are deemed to have passed the prequalification of these agreements.

Make your company stand out from the competition

The implementation of the CSR policy is more indicative of your company than the output of various related programs and activities. It showcases your values and understanding of the wider business environment. With so many organizations focusing on the bottom line of shareholders and return on investment, effective corporate social responsibility marketing can help you stand out from the crowd.

It is often said that people want to do business with people, and this is true. But more importantly, people want to do business with people like them. Caring about your impact on the world is a very attractive proposition for most potential customers, because 91% of global customers want companies to operate responsibly and solve social and community issues.

If you are considering a CSR policy for your company, there is ample evidence from some of the world’s leading brands that doing so can have a positive impact in many ways. It does not have to be a grand gesture. Often, the most meaningful changes are those that occur over time, such as improving waste management, carpooling, or powering local charities.

Companies should strive to take care of our global community, just as they take care of shareholders. It is encouraging that more and more organizations are listening to this call and taking action. Why not be one of them?

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