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Business owners: does a businesses' social policies matter in your trading?

See above.

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 40.0%

  • No

    Votes: 3 60.0%
  • Total voters
    5
Einzige

Einzige

Elitist as Hell.
DP Veteran
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
2,655
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Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Libertarian - Left
I own a small business. You won't find it on a Fortune 500 index; it isn't traded on Wall Street; odds are good you've never heard of it. I don't want to go into specifics about what I do, because I want to keep my business as separate from my personal life and personal views as possible. But suffice it to say that I have a decently-sized clientele, enough to support a very comfortable lifestyle for myself. I do business in several different nations, mostly in western Europe, and while the volume of my business is small, I do interact with other businesses on a regular basis.

Early last year, I was contacted by the corporate management of a large business centered in the American South which is quite famous. They wanted to contract out work to me; accepting the contract would have backlogged me into the middle of 2013. It was a big order, and business sense would have dictated that I accept it.

But I declined. Because this business also has a reputation for being particularly outspoken on social issues - it has been at the forefront of funding organizations like Focus on the Family and similarly arch-conservative groups. I regard its mission statements with hostility, and I could not benefit it in any way it good conscience.

Surely there are others here who operate their own businesses. And I'd like to get their perspective on things.
 
Einzige said:
I own a small business. You won't find it on a Fortune 500 index; it isn't traded on Wall Street; odds are good you've never heard of it. I don't want to go into specifics about what I do, because I want to keep my business as separate from my personal life and personal views as possible. But suffice it to say that I have a decently-sized clientele, enough to support a very comfortable lifestyle for myself. I do business in several different nations, mostly in western Europe, and while the volume of my business is small, I do interact with other businesses on a regular basis.

Early last year, I was contacted by the corporate management of a large business centered in the American South which is quite famous. They wanted to contract out work to me; accepting the contract would have backlogged me into the middle of 2013. It was a big order, and business sense would have dictated that I accept it.

But I declined. Because this business also has a reputation for being particularly outspoken on social issues - it has been at the forefront of funding organizations like Focus on the Family and similarly arch-conservative groups. I regard its mission statements with hostility, and I could not benefit it in any way it good conscience.

Surely there are others here who operate their own businesses. And I'd like to get their perspective on things.
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You've got to go with that which you are comfortable. I certainly, therefore, can't fault you for standing back from the offer. Besides which, some small business owned by someone who isn't such an incredible pinhead will now benefit because you didn't jump at the opportunity. It's win win win as far as I can see. They get the business and the money, the customer gets served, and you get that warm feeling of self righteousness.

I hope this puts things in perspective.
 
LowDown said:
Besides which, some small business owned by someone who isn't such an incredible pinhead
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Do you do anything constructive, LowDown? Besides plagiarize bad German philosophers, I mean.
 
Einzige said:
I own a small business. You won't find it on a Fortune 500 index; it isn't traded on Wall Street; odds are good you've never heard of it. I don't want to go into specifics about what I do, because I want to keep my business as separate from my personal life and personal views as possible. But suffice it to say that I have a decently-sized clientele, enough to support a very comfortable lifestyle for myself. I do business in several different nations, mostly in western Europe, and while the volume of my business is small, I do interact with other businesses on a regular basis.

Early last year, I was contacted by the corporate management of a large business centered in the American South which is quite famous. They wanted to contract out work to me; accepting the contract would have backlogged me into the middle of 2013. It was a big order, and business sense would have dictated that I accept it.

But I declined. Because this business also has a reputation for being particularly outspoken on social issues - it has been at the forefront of funding organizations like Focus on the Family and similarly arch-conservative groups. I regard its mission statements with hostility, and I could not benefit it in any way it good conscience.

Surely there are others here who operate their own businesses. And I'd like to get their perspective on things.
Click to expand...

I mostly don't get involved with the politics of my clients. I once worked with someone who vocally expressed his doubts with liberalism, global warming, etc. etc. I bit my tongue, concluding I was there do a job and not get into a stupid political debate with my own client. Political debates are what this forum is for.

We all have a line, I just haven't found mine yet.
 
Cardinal said:
I mostly don't get involved with the politics of my clients. I once worked with someone who vocally expressed his doubts with liberalism, global warming, etc. etc. I bit my tongue, concluding I was there do a job and not get into a stupid political debate with my own client. Political debates are what this forum is for.

We all have a line, I just haven't found mine yet.
Click to expand...

There have been times I've been required to do business with individuals I find unpleasant; in those cases I also suck it up and plow on. But it's different, I think, when an entire organization is essentially a political front for causes I find repugnant. Any contribution to them then becomes inexorably linked to those views.
 
Einzige said:
I own a small business. You won't find it on a Fortune 500 index; it isn't traded on Wall Street; odds are good you've never heard of it. I don't want to go into specifics about what I do, because I want to keep my business as separate from my personal life and personal views as possible. But suffice it to say that I have a decently-sized clientele, enough to support a very comfortable lifestyle for myself. I do business in several different nations, mostly in western Europe, and while the volume of my business is small, I do interact with other businesses on a regular basis.

Early last year, I was contacted by the corporate management of a large business centered in the American South which is quite famous. They wanted to contract out work to me; accepting the contract would have backlogged me into the middle of 2013. It was a big order, and business sense would have dictated that I accept it.

But I declined. Because this business also has a reputation for being particularly outspoken on social issues - it has been at the forefront of funding organizations like Focus on the Family and similarly arch-conservative groups. I regard its mission statements with hostility, and I could not benefit it in any way it good conscience.

Surely there are others here who operate their own businesses. And I'd like to get their perspective on things.
Click to expand...

I would say it is strictly up to you. You do what you feel is the right thing, if some business's social policy bothers you, nothing says you have to do business with them.
 
Cardinal said:
I mostly don't get involved with the politics of my clients. I once worked with someone who vocally expressed his doubts with liberalism, global warming, etc. etc. I bit my tongue, concluding I was there do a job and not get into a stupid political debate with my own client. Political debates are what this forum is for.

We all have a line, I just haven't found mine yet.
Click to expand...

Same here. I never ever discuss politics with clients or suppliers. IMO, those discussions have no place in business.
 
well, it's not the way I run my businesses, but it's your business and you're free to make business decisions based on ..well... anything you want to base them on, I guess.

I could see me opposing affiliation with say NAMBLA or the KKK or some such extremist group... but I wouldn't do so with mainstream groups or companies.
while I consider it a right as a business owner to choose his criteria for affiliation, i'm not going to go off half cocked over simple mainstream political affiliations.

in any event, it's your choice to make and you and the employees will simply have to live with the decision.
 
MaggieD said:
Same here. I never ever discuss politics with clients or suppliers. IMO, those discussions have no place in business.
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it doesn't sound like he had a conversation with them... sound more like he was going off of their public reputation.
 
Thrilla said:
it doesn't sound like he had a conversation with them... sound more like he was going off of their public reputation.
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This is correct. I wouldn't be bothered if the representative of a client organization expressed personal views I disagreed with, because a business is always more than one person, even its owner. But this business in particular - I don't really think I need to say too much more about it for you to know what group I'm talking about - is very public about its social views, and its donations to causes reflective of those views.
 
Einzige said:
There have been times I've been required to do business with individuals I find unpleasant; in those cases I also suck it up and plow on. But it's different, I think, when an entire organization is essentially a political front for causes I find repugnant. Any contribution to them then becomes inexorably linked to those views.
Click to expand...

about the only thing I have to say to that is .. I find the judgment you have levied against mainstream conservatism to be a bit suspect... "repugnant", I think, goes much too far.
I'm certainly no fan of mainstream conservatism or mainstream contemporary liberalism... but I can't, in good conscience, find them " repugnant".
 
Thrilla said:
about the only thing I have to say to that is .. I find the judgment you have levied against mainstream conservatism to be a bit suspect... "repugnant", I think, goes much too far.
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I don't think Focus on the Family, or hostility not only to gay marriage and abortion but to civil unions and contraception, are 'mainstream' views anywhere anymore.
 
In related news, it's always hard to believe when a small business owner actually hires or retains an Obama supporter. It's like inviting Colonel Sanders into the hen house.
 
Einzige said:
I don't think Focus on the Family, or hostility not only to gay marriage and abortion but to civil unions and contraception, are 'mainstream' views anywhere anymore.
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yeah, they are.... they might not be in the majority, but they are mainstream nonetheless.
 
In a word - no.

As an individual investor and consumer, I would avoid shares and products of a company that makes regular donations to the Focus on the Family, or the NumbersUSA, or MoveOn. Just like I am trying to steer clear of merchandize made in countries with seriously illiberal regimes.

I don't feel virtuous about it (the marginal losses of revenue are not likely to affect the bosses who make policies, but could very well cost ordinary workers their jobs or wage increases) - I am just following my disgust, to be frank.

As an entrepreneur, however, I have obligations to my investors and co-workers. And I hope that what I am tinkering with will make some modest positive difference in lives of many people. These considerations override my personal political preferences.

(Well, I have to admit I haven't faced such dilemma so far, knocking the wood).
 
If lawyers were unwilling to represent people whom they do not approve of, the legal system would not work.

If doctors refused to treat people whom they do not approve of, the healthcare system would not work.

If businesses turn down business that they could have passed the profits on to the workers or hired more workers, then they are being stupid, not high minded.
 
Business is business. I deal with pretty much anybody that isn't a criminal and has chosen to conduct their business as a business. I've done work for plenty of hardcore liberals and still do. Some I talk politics with and others I don't, it depends on the person. If MoveOn wanted me to do some work for them and their checks didn't bounce I'd do it. I've lost clients before over ideology and it hasn't broken my heart because they are doing what they believe is the right thing.
 
Einzige said:
Do you do anything constructive, LowDown? Besides plagiarize bad German philosophers, I mean.
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Oh yes. And were I to refuse to serve silly liberals I'd be in bad shape financially. I find it better not to even ask.
 
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