Business
Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.
Who really benefits from free trade agreements like TTIP, Ceta and Nafta?
Matthew d’Ancona asserts that “the vigorous exchange of goods and labour is the greatest engine of prosperity the world has ever known” (Brexit meets Trumpism: the new special relationship, 14 November). Had he prefaced his remark with “the fair and vigorous exchange” Read More...
Message to the new president: Free trade and immigration stimulate the economy
With the arrival of president Trump, protectionism seems to be on a winning course. Trump has vowed to restrict the movement of people and goods into the United States, discarding trade agreements, raising tariffs, curtailing immigration, and constructing walls around the country. It’s urgent to Read More...
Sustainable business will drive the new economy, not Trump
Like most of you, I’m still trying to get my head around Donald Trump’s victory. While his rise may have been predictable and should have been foreseeable after years of economic and cultural stagnation in the heartland, it doesn’t sting any less. And now we all have to Read More...
Could reinvention solve our shopping addiction?
Swedish retail giant H&M seems an unlikely poster child for ecological living. The High Street group, which owns brands including Monki and Cos and has more than 4,000 shops across the world, is one of the best known proponents of fast fashion. It's a cheap and reliable source of trendy clothes Read More...
4 steps to start an inclusive business effort from within
So you are excited by the opportunity to achieve both commercial success and development impact through inclusive business. Wonderful, but where do you start? Members of the Business Call to Action have found that launching a new inclusive initiative requires four primary steps: Just as in any Read More...
How a 30-year-old farm used turmeric and poppies to build a $50 million business
Editor's note: This tour of small businesses across the country highlights the imagination, diversity, and resilience of American enterprise. Biodiversity sounds so environmentally correct that one forgets it is also beautiful. Cradled by the gently looming Blue Ridge Mountains, the farm at Gaia Read More...
MIT launches accelerator to support entrepreneurs who want to solve problems
It may be easy to start a technology company today as most technology can be developed and implemented simply and cheaply. In most cases, the new solution is the next app. However, that’s not true for the technology needed to solve the world's biggest problems—from low-cost water purification Read More...
Want to work for Uber but don't have a car? GM will rent you one
Uber has a new short-term car leasing partner for its drivers, and it’s none other than General Motors—a major investor in rival ride-hailing company Lyft. On Tuesday, Uber and a 10-month-old car-sharing division within GM announced a new pilot program in San Francisco that will let Uber Read More...
Five reasons why coaching helps social innovators
Outcomes are not the only thing to focus on – building the capacity of individuals and organisations is important in bringing about change. This is why looking at "social innovation coaching" is important, as it is a process that supports people involved in influencing people and planet for Read More...
Tesla motors profit surprises investors ahead of merger vote
The electric carmaker Tesla Motors said on Wednesday that it earned $22 million in the third quarter, its first profitable period since 2013, raising expectations for the success of its expansion plans. The company’s chief executive, “We were able to have our best quarter ever, and we Read More...