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.
Turning restaurants into work spaces outside opening hours
The Internet-driven sharing economy opens all kinds of new opportunities for exchange. Restaurants provide precious public space in city centers and now a new app, Spacious, is turning upscale restaurants in New York into office spaces during the day. Members, after a free trial day, can subscribe Read More...
'Heaven's water': the launch of Amsterdam’s first rainwater beer
It may have been the wettest June since records began in some of the Netherlands, but that’s no reason for the Dutch to be despondent. A small group of entrepreneurs has demonstrated that it’s the perfect excuse to make beer, launching a brew made from rainwater. The idea is that with Read More...
IKEA argues for businesses to go all-in on sustainability
Ask sportspersons what their ultimate aim is — from Usain Bolt and Serena Williams to Eric the Eel — and they'll tell you it is to win, finish top, or be the very best at what they do. Their achievements may not always match their ambitions straight away, but in their vastly competitive Read More...
How this chocolate company is challenging Hershey's and Nestle's business model (and winning)
Yesterday was World Chocolate Day, marking the 466th anniversary of when chocolate was introduced to Europe. Unfortunately, the chocolate industry has been getting a bad rap recently, with lawsuits and boycotts against big names like Nestlé, Hershey, and Mars for reportedly supporting child Read More...
Self-driving robots will start making deliveries in Europe this month
These adorable little six-wheeled robots will begin their deliveries in London and three other European cities. The robots will be deployed this month to make deliveries for food-ordering services Just Eat and Pronto, and carry packages for courier service Hermes and supermarket Metro Group. They Read More...
How empowering women benefits businesses
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 - 1:37amThis article was originally published in the BSR Insight. In May, thousands of advocates, policymakers and leaders from business and civil society gathered in Copenhagen for Women Deliver, the world’s largest global convening focused on the health, rights and Read More...
Google snaps up 236MW of wind capacity to power EU data centres
Data giant agrees purchase of clean energy from new wind farms in Norway and Sweden Google, the world's largest corporate buyer of clean energy, has struck a new deal to buy 236MW of new wind capacity to power its European data centres. The new capacity will come from two wind farms currently under Read More...
How a flex-time program at MIT improved productivity, resilience, and trust
In today’s increasingly competitive hiring market, organizations need to think differently about how to attract new employees and retain existing ones. Unfortunately, many of the obvious solutions require a financial investment: increasing salaries, bonuses, medical benefits, or vacation Read More...
Virgin Atlantic finds cheapest way to save fuel is to tell pilots to do so
In an innovative experiment, Virgin Atlantic has used behavioral science to ‘nudge’ its pilots into using less fuel. The experiment shows that significant fuel savings can be achieved with very little investment. The pilots were split into four groups: One which was simply told that fuel use Read More...
Can the advertising industry sell us waste-free living?
It was diving in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia that sparked Andy Ridley’s interest in environmental issues. Shocked at its state, he joined WWF and went on to launch Earth Hour in 2007, the huge climate change awareness campaign that sees buildings in 7,000 cities turn off their lights. Read More...