The power of “no”
On the radio this morning, Paul McCartney was talking about his photo exhibition which opens at the National Portrait Gallery at the end of this month. He talked about the photos he took whilst the The Beatles were touring back in the early sixties. The tour included parts of the United States where fans would be segregated. The band refused. The promoters had no choice but to comply such was the power of their “no”.
I am not suggesting that either you or I wield the influence of The Beatles but we can choose.
I am a big fan of the proverb that you are judged by the company you keep. It is as true in business as it is for private matters.
How much thought have you given to the ethics of the people you work with? Here’s my shortlist of the people you should be considering and I’d love to hear of any you think should be added.
Have you thought about your…………
- Team & Subcontractors
- Customers
- Accountant
- Solicitor
- Financial adviser
- Bank (so much to say on this)
- Pension fund
- Utilities suppliers – electricity, gas and water
- Suppliers of essentials like loo roll (we became Naked Sprout converts in our house once we got over the slightly 2nd hand look to the unbleached bamboo)
Do their values align with your own?
How sustainable is your bank?
Most of us recognise the impact of non renewable energy on the environment. If you do nothing else today, I’d suggest you check whether your bank is one that finances the fossil fuels industry. The volunteers at Bank.Green have done the leg work and there’s a useful list of green and sustainable banks – although you won’t be able to open one with Triodos as they are at capacity. I moved from my old bank a year ago and found the new Current Account Switch Service worked very well. Only thing it didn’t do was close all the deposit accounts linked to my current account so that’s one to watch out for.
you are judged by the company you keep
Your Accountant
Do you know what your accountant’s values are? How clear are they on what they will and won’t do? Do you understand the people they will and won’t work with? How do they treat their team?
Would you like to know how Composure operates? We’d like to chance to tell and show you. Please get in touch today and see how it is possible to succeed without sacrificing your personal values.