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.
How Sainsbury's is tackling food waste, sustainability and energy security in one swoop
In true circular economy fashion, the supermarket is using gas produced by its own food waste to run six of its stores Over the past few years supermarket giant Sainsbury's has emerged as one of the UK's sustainability pioneers. After last November being named by the investor-backed CDP Read More...
The $300 Billion Industry Airbnb Is Targeting Next
In less than a decade, Airbnb has gone from having a single listing, for an air mattress in founder Brian Chesky's living room, to having nearly twice as much room capacity as the largest hotel chain. The home rental network has 60 million users and a $24 billion valuation, making it the second Read More...
Can a new worker-owned platform create a more equitable sharing economy?
Carolina Herrera pushes a stroller through the slushy city streets, propelling one-year-old Zavier, as well as her own two-year-old daughter, Mariana. Herrera is small, and the double stroller takes a lot of her strength—usually, it’s a single stroller, and Mariana is at home with a neighbor Read More...
Five ways you can inspire budding entrepreneurs
Starting a business is an unpopular career choice among school pupils – 78% of young people aged 15-18 have no interest in doing so, according to a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Google. But, as a business owner, you have the power to motivate the future generation of founders. Read More...
Airbnb just acquired a team of bitcoin and blockchain experts
Home-rental company Airbnb has “acqui-hired” the majority of the team behind ChangeCoin, a startup that runs a bitcoin-based micropayments service, according to four people with knowledge of the deal. The alternative lodging site has been looking at a few bitcoin and blockchain startups, Read More...
BMW ReachNow car-sharing service offers i3 electric cars in Seattle
After a brief hiatus, BMW is once again offering a car-sharing service in the U.S. The German carmaker shut down its DriveNow service in San Francisco, but is now re-launching the service—with a new name, ReachNow—in Seattle. Users will have access to a fleet of 370 vehicles, including BMW i3 Read More...
Jaguar Land Rover launches tech venture to test car-sharing
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) launched a technology business on Monday which aims to create apps for services such as car-sharing, the latest automaker to explore ways of tapping demand for cheaper and greener ways of making short journeys. The InMotion venture will begin testing products including Read More...
Sharing economy: A revolution at our doorstep
In a good overview of the emerging sharing economy, Inc. writes that the phenomenon is more than just a trend; it’s rather a revolution. Communal exchanges and self-sufficiency change the rules of the game, threatening the status quo of established industries. Previously, government restrictions Read More...
Making sense of the many business models in the sharing economy
Is Uber even part of the sharing economy? Does Airbnb’s business model have a positive or negative impact on communities? Are on-demand startups like TaskRabbit leveraging exploitative business models? What is the right approach for local governments when it comes to regulating the sharing Read More...
IKEA's plans to become a solar energy powerhouse
For years now IKEA has had a strong commitment to environmental responsibility and last week the organisation’s green credentials received yet another boost with it announcing that it plans to expand its solar sales. Already the world’s biggest furniture seller, IKEA has announced plans Read More...