Today, businesses are not just known for the products and services they offer, but consumers also take into account a company’s values and morals. According to a recent study done by Ipsos, people believe brands have a responsibility to address social and political concerns. And now is an especially opportune time for these entities to speak up, says business consultant Holly Howard. She credits social media for both normalizing discourse around current events and making it easier for company's to vocalize their thoughts on these topics.

“20 years ago, you could take a stand as a business, but it wasn't going to spread as much as it can when a business is online … I think a lot of things contributed to the fact that people feel more comfortable [speaking up] nowadays … Using those times as a source of inspiration and motivation to create something new in the world is really important.”

In season 2 episode 7 of our podcast Small Business, Big Lessons, we spoke to several entrepreneurs and learned why, for them, taking a stand is embedded within their business’s overall purpose.

A small business galvanized by social justice

In the spring of 2020, Azikiwee Anderson, or Z, was dealing with the pandemic like most Americans were. At the time, Covid-19 had not yet become a household name, and there was a ton of uncertainty in the air. But then, in May of that year, something else occurred that disrupted Z’s world: George Floyd was murdered in police custody. Floyd’s death caused an uproar and pushed the issue of racial discrimination and the Black Lives Matter movement to the forefront of American society.

A Black man himself, Z was profoundly impacted by this incident and it led the private chef to reevaluate his life, purpose, and the way he is perceived by society.

“During the pandemic, I went down a rabbit hole. I tell people, it kind of broke my brain,” Z said. “The whole murder of George Floyd, what it meant to the world, what it meant to me. What it meant because he looked and was seen like me in the world…,” Z said. “How the world sees people like me. Like the person I am … can I be my own authentic self?”

Angry, frustrated, and confused, Z felt like he had no place to just be. It was a time of immense reflection and contemplation and when he finally was able to pull himself out of this rut, it was thanks to an unlikely source – sourdough.

At the time, baking sourdough had been a popular pandemic activity, something that helped people keep busy during lockdown and also provided comfort during an unprecedented time. But for Z, the hobby would become so much more than a relaxing pastime.

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He said that baking helped him to get back from the edge. “The act itself – the zen of getting lost, working with my hands, and being truly present and enjoying it – has healed many cracks in my heart.

Z began sharing his baking experiences with his followers via his personal Instagram account. Several people inquired about buying loaves from the private chef. Rize Up Bakery was created in a matter of minutes. The original Z’s Kitchen business has grown to be a successful small business in San Francisco.

Rize Up’s purpose is clearly stated by the entrepreneur. Z is determined to inspire others, particularly Black youth, with the power of baking. Z hopes that this will help children see there are other paths to success.

Z stated, “If you think you can be a rapper, drug dealer, or basketball player, then it’s no wonder people have an identity crisis.”

Rize Up Bakery is Z’s way of spreading his passion for baking, brightening customers’ lives, and offering healthy food to his community. He is determined to incorporate a greater social justice aspect to his work as he continues to build the foundations for his small business. This includes working with the younger generation.

Z stated, “I don’t believe the world, particularly kids, is taught to be great.” They’re taught to not make mistakes, to be kind, to cooperate, to respect others and to take responsibility for their actions. But they aren’t taught how to be great.

These entrepreneurs are able to take a stand in their work.

Z isn’t the only entrepreneur passionate about making a difference with his work. These small-business owners are committed to fighting against social wrongs, including misinformation, tech monopolies and wasteful consumption. They implement policies and initiatives within the companies that address these issues.

The Paynter Jacket offers an alternative to fast fashion

Paynter Jacket was founded by Becky and Huw as co-founders. Their mission is to do things differently and ethically, and that’s what Paynter Jacket does. They sell only four limited edition jackets per year. Their business model is made-to-order, which means they only order what they need.

Becky is aware that their clothing company will not be able fix fast fashion. However, she hopes Paynter Jacket’s ethical production philosophy can remind customers that they don’tneed new clothes all the time, but that they should instead buy more quality staples. The entrepreneur is nostalgic for the days when clothing was valued.

“I can remember the best days of my childhood, when my cousins came over with their hand-me-down clothes. We would go through them and decide what to keep. It doesn’t seem to happen anymore.

Paynter Jacket is a popular brand that has seen a rise in demand and could expand its operations. However, they choose to make fewer jackets each year to keep true to their roots.

SparkToro protests against tech monopolies

Rand Fishkin co-founded two tech companies, Moz SEO software and SparkToro, a audience research tool. Rand Fishkin, an entrepreneur with extensive experience in the tech sector, has voiced concern about U.S antitrust enforcement. He believes it has hampered economic opportunity and created more inequality.

“You only have a few companies that control the internet gateways, control internet commerce, and control internet advertising. That lack of enforcement is illegal, it is violating the law in the United States.” Rand created SparkToro with principles. One of their values was egalitarianism. They want small businesses to catch up with the large tech giants through audience research.

NEW blog post

The US Congress is currently considering the Big Tech Monopoly bill. It could have a massive effect on entrepreneurship, marketing, Google’s results, SEO, PPC, and more.https://t.co/FaE8OOFusu

Rand Fishkin (@randfish), June 14, 2022

Rand also published research about how large companies such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook are hindering innovation and fair competition. This research was cited by Congress and featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Rand also shares his thoughts on the issue via his blog and social media. He hopes that his words and research will have an impact.

“My hope is that if just a few people contribute in small ways, maybe we can make an impact.” He believes everyone has an obligation.

Buffer fights online misinformation

There has been a rise in false information being spread on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter over recent years. We’ve seen our tools and products at Buffer used to publish false messages.

This misinformation could have real-life consequences. It was important for the entire Buffer team, including Joel Gascoigne, to be clear. We have updated our terms of service and terms of use for our products in order to be more clear about what is allowed and what isn’t. Accounts that do not follow the rules have been subject to severe sanctions.

“We can accomplish this because we are a small business. These things are easy to do and we can move very quickly. So that’s where we’ve been moving in recent times and it feels like the right direction for us to go for the stage where culture, DNA, and the type of company are.

We will continue to fight misinformation because our core values are transparency, authenticity, helping customers succeed.

Take a stand and foster community relationships

Holly warns business owners that it is not always easy to choose a cause to support, and to stick to one or two.

Holly stated, “I advise people to take a step back, and question why they are aligning themselves with certain causes. Not from a political perspective. But from an internal cultural perspective.”

These small business owners also reached out to other causes and organizations in order to take a stand and partner with them.

Made with Local Addresses Food Insecurity

Made with Local, a B-corporation that makes a variety granola products, has been actively involved in the local community’s efforts to reduce social inequalities. Sheena Russel, founder of Made with Local, is passionate about providing food for the poor in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.

“We collaborate closely with organizations that work to address food insecurity. This goes beyond just having insufficient food in your pantry. Sheena stated that these are systemic problems that pose a serious problem in our world.

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North Grove is a Nova Scotia community food center that promotes and provides fair and healthy food for its residents. They have partnered with them. The Dartmouth community fridge project was also founded by the small business. This organization aims to feed the community.

Made with Local supports local community partners and actively advocates for everyone to have access fresh, nutritious food.

Rize Up is a partner with many San Francisco orgs

Z was a child who experienced homelessness as a family. This experience shaped his approach to giving back. Z is a big believer in donating a portion his bakery’s sourdough loaves for multiple San Francisco organizations.

Rize Up partners Glide – a SF Social Justice Center that works to reduce poverty, housing and homelessness in the city. One Richmond is a community center that aims at strengthening the bonds between residents. Z also donated loaves of bread to battered woman shelters in SF.

Z can feel like he is doing something small to help his neighbors.

“I might not have the ability to fix everything. It is possible that I won’t be able buy someone a home. Z stated that what I can do is use the skills and my hands to create beautiful food. “Some days you just need enough food so that you can get through the day. That is what really matters to me.

Buffer makes an annual donation to charity

Buffer is big on giving back, and we are proud of our annual charitable donation. We take 20% of our profits and match it to donate to a worthy cause. This is done at the end of each profitable year.

We’ve made it easier to donate in recent years. In 2020, we donated to several organizations supporting Black Lives Matter. Additionally, we matched team donations and continued to invest in antiracism education for the team. There is always room for us to give to other causes if the need arises. We donated to Global Giving’s Ukraine crisis relief funds in 2022 as a way of showing our support for Ukraine. +

Joel was conscious of the importance of ensuring that the causes he supported were in line with Buffer’s overall mission.

“We have begun to change our thinking, and not just think about it as ‘okay we’re donating money. But can we do something that’s truly intertwined? Joel said. “We began to think more about underrepresented groups, and causes that are focused on them but also small business in some way.

Paynter Jacket raises funds for Ukraine

Becky and Huw knew immediately that they wanted to assist in any way possible when the Ukraine crisis first broke out. They didn’t have much in the way of resources for a small business but they had some samples left over from previous batches. They decided to use these samples and prints to raise funds online. Paynter Jacket raised 23,000 Pounds through user donations and an anonymous donation that was matched. This money went to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine by the Red Cross.

“We felt it was important to help the people of Ukraine because it is so terrifying and difficult. We felt like we couldn’t do anything far away. Becky stated that the best thing we could do was to show solidarity and raise money.

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Although taking a position is something small business owners should do, it’s okay sometimes to step back and think before you speak up on an issue. Holly draws inspiration from Loretta Ross, activist and her thoughts about being an ally.

Holly stated that Ross’s whole approach to activism is about taking the time to reflect on why we are doing what we do. Holly stated that it is important to not approach activism from the perspective of “we must get out there immediately and accomplish this thing.”

Customers and followers often notice when you appear performative in your activism. It is important to fully understand the cause and then back it up with action.

If you find a worthy cause that aligns with your brand’s mission and values, be vocal about your support and advocacy.

You want more information on Taking A Stand? The full episode is available here

This episode features additional insights from the businesses that we interviewed about taking a stand for brands and how it can help them. You can find the complete episode here.

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