This pledge came out of a conversation that started here, continued here and here.
As an ethical, heart-centered, business owner, I commit myself and anyone else on my team to the following principles:
1. To care for my clients’ financial well-being, which includes:
- When interviewing potential clients, asking them both about their ability to pay and their ability to receive benefit from the product or service, in a compassionate manner that supports them in thinking responsibly about their financial situation.
- For significant purchases my discount and other deadlines are set to allow for both a cooling-off period and the ability for the potential client to discuss the purchase with others.
- If through the client interview above I find that purchasing would critically impair the potential client’s ability to feed, clothe or house themselves or their family, I will recommend more affordable alternatives.
2. To care for my business’ financial well-being, which includes:
- Charging prices that allow the business to be profitable and allow those who work for the business, including myself as the owner, to be receive comfortable compensation.
- Cheerfully and humbly accepting payment from those who have the ability and willingness to pay prices that allow for profitability.
- Once having interviewed a client and given them the time to reflect, discuss and make their own decision, I trust their ability to make that decision.
3. To care for the financial well-being of my industry, which includes:
- Taking a stand for Do No Financial Harm, which means being a voice for these principles where appropriate.
- To not endorse, privately or in public, explicitly or implicitly, businesses that I believe are using unethical tactics to sell, no matter my opinion of their actual product or service.
What’s Next?
If you agree with this, I recommend two things.
1. Commit to it, communicate it to anyone who may be on your team, and, where appropriate, educate your clients and colleagues about it.
2. If you want, make the Do No Financial Harm badge visible on your site. Here’s code for it, including a link back to this page with the explanations.
<a href=”http://heartofbusiness.com/the-do-no-financial-harm-pledge“><img title=”do-no-financial-harm” src=”http://heartofbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/financial-harm.jpg” width=”155″ height=”142″ /></a>
3. Sign on below, with your name, and a link to your business’ web site.
9 Responses
Mark, I really believe this is vitally important and ingenius. Thank you for hosting this conversation with our community.
I am so happy that you created this, Mark, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Really love and appreciate this conversation and this pledge. Thank you Mark.
This is an imperative aspect of doing business in a global economy. Thank you for reminding us of the importance of financial well-being for all involved in each of our businesses. I will be marking my participation in this pledge on my own site, and passing the info along to others.
Thank you Mark. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Leading the way in light & Love. Deep gratitude.
Just added to my coaching page and it feels so right!
Thanks Mark … and thanks Sandi for putting the Do No Financial Harm Pledge link up on your website.
When I clicked through, it brought me joy to see it was a Heart of Business initiative. I already love Mark’s blog, so it made me smile that you do too!
Yay! Very cool, Erin.
This is absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much.