Have you ever heard the term socially responsible company? Perhaps you have even wondered if that would be a good thing for your eCommerce. But, What is being a socially responsible company?
If you want to know what this term encompasses and, above all, the advantages and types of responsible companies that can be created, take a look at what we have prepared for you. Shall we start?
What is being a socially responsible company?
The first thing you need is to understand the concept of a socially responsible company. And, for this, You have to think not only about the social impacts, but also about the economic and environmental ones. Thus, a company with this qualifier implies that it knows what the impact is on these three levels of its company and takes responsibility for making a positive change in general, not only internally, but also externally.
As we know that this is not easy to understand, we give you an example. Imagine that you have a clothing eCommerce. And you want to be socially responsible so, among the actions that you could undertake would be to use recycled boxes and paper so as not to harm the environment (and that they were cheaper to be able to have more adjusted prices), sell second-hand clothes (returns) at more affordable prices, etc.
In this way, alternatives are sought that are sustainable, but that also imply something positive for other people.
Every socially responsible company must comply with several rules and principles in all the areas that we have mentioned., that is, social, environmental and economic. In addition, it is governed by a special moral, ethics and organizational culture that advocates leaving a "positive" footprint to be better.
What are the advantages of being a socially responsible company?
Now that you know what a socially responsible company is, maybe you sense some of the benefits it offers, but if not, here we summarize the most important ones:
Your brand is recognized
In the sense that, by doing things well, always thinking of others and trying to contribute a grain of sand to take care of the planet and those who inhabit it, the brand has more positive recognition.
Users see it as a brand that does "things right" and that they can trust when buying or consuming their products or services.
Positive reputation
Related to the above, if you do things right, users see you positively. When a company is committed to social, economic and environmental causes, and is also known about them, this builds trust for the brand.
By supuesto, you have to do it right because if at any time you fail with those commitments, your reputation can fall, while recognition will increase, but it will be of a negative nature.
Customers are loyal, but also workers
A socially responsible company usually thinks of everyone, whether they are customers or workers. And when things are done well, customers can identify with the brand, which implies that they will be loyal in their purchases because they know that what the company does is well done.
And what about the workers? By taking care of them, motivating them, offering them a decent job and salary, the workers end up identifying with the company. This implies that they themselves will be very aware of improving the company because they will feel part of it.
sales increase
As a consequence of all of the above, socially responsible companies, as long as they follow the principles and standards, will see that they sell more. In fact, the trend to consume ecological and sustainable products is booming, with which having brands that identify themselves as such can help increase the number of sales.
How to have a socially responsible company
Are you interested in being a socially responsible company? Well, here are some steps you should take to become one:
Create a professional code of ethics
This it is none other than a document that establishes what your values are and what actions or behaviors are not tolerated. Our recommendation is that you make it general and then divide it by areas of the company, as this will make it much easier for workers to focus on what they should follow.
Above all, job security
Do you protect your workers? Do they have on hand all the items they need to make their workplace safe? Here we talk about safety at work, but also about ergonomics. In general, of the prevention of labor risks.
And you can achieve this by certifying the company and the positions as insurance. For this you will have to hire a company or similar to review the jobs and see what the potential risks are and how to solve them.
Make changes towards the sustainable and the ecological
For your customers, you can help cause less environmental impact. And how? Well, reducing the use of paper, using recycled elements, not using plastics...
You could even allocate part of the profits to responsible actions: plant trees, donate to families in need, etc.
Notify
To suppliers, distributors, competitors, customers... In general, to everyone. The goal is for them to understand the changes you are making and everything you do for society, the economy and the environment.
And no, this does not mean that you are going to be "smug" or that you want them to thank you; but if you don't say How will they know you care? You can offer that information about the performances, either in an article on your page, or through an email. And what can be communicated? For example:
- That workers have a decent job, Well paid and according to the law.
- that you are in favor of solidarity and that you take action in this regard.
- that you take care of the environment, well with the packaging of the products, well with the shipments in the case of being an online store.
- That you connect with the community, either where the company is located, or with the sector you are targeting. For example, if you have a plant store, you could be linked to repopulating trees, or helping to bring plants to nursing homes, shelters, etc.
As you can see, being a socially responsible company what It does is that others see you as an organization that cares about the present and the future in various aspects.